THE approval of the vape bill will “accelerate the decline” in cigarette smoking in the Philippines, according to two international public health experts.
The House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) 9007 on third and final reading on May 25, 2021 while the Senate approved its version, Senate Bill (SB) 2239, on Dec. 16, 2021.
SB 2239 and HB 9007 aim to regulate the manufacture, sale and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) which, according to some scientific studies, are less harmful than combustible cigarettes.
Dr. Riccardo Polosa, professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Catania in Italy, lauded the Philippine Congress for approving the Vaporized Nicotine Products (VNP) bill.
“The VNP bill is a step in the right direction,” Polosa said in a letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Bernadette E. Tamayo – The Manila Times – 2022-01-14.