The proposed Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, also known as the Vape Regulation Bill, has lapsed into law.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. allowed the bill to lapse on July 25 sans his signature, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez said in a letter sent to Congress.
Rodriguez also furnished Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez with a copy of the law regulating the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, and novel tobacco products.
Malacañang has yet to release a copy of the the law.
If the President does not act on a proposed law submitted by Congress, it will lapse into law after 30 days of receipt, according to the Official Gazette.
The law regulates the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, as well as novel tobacco products.
Under the new law, the Department of Trade and Industry is tasked to consult with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in setting technical standards for the safety, consistency, and quality of vape products.
The DTI is also given authority to regulate the vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products and their devices and novel tobacco products made from tobacco leaves or have nicotine in tobacco.
The law also mandates the Department of Health (DOH) to prescribe guidelines on the implementation of smoking and vaping restriction awareness campaigns.
It likewise provides protection to minors from accessing vape products by setting the minimum allowable age for the purchase, sale, and use of such products to 18 years old.
The bill becomes a law, despite appeals from health experts, the DOH, and the FDA for Marcos to veto it because of its provisions contradict public health goals and international standards.
The bill was ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Jan. 26, 2022.
Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos – Philippine News Agency – 2022-07-26
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