FILE PHOTO: In this file photo, a man blows a puff of smoke as he vapes with an electronic cigarette.
LUCENA CITY — The local government of Batangas City amended on Tuesday its anti-smoking ordinance passed in 2012 to restrict the sale and use of vape and e-cigarette products.
Sangguniang Panglungsod members made the amendments as part of the city’s campaign against cigarette and vape use, particularly among the youth.
The city Public Information Office (PIO) announced on Tuesday that the amendments in City Ordinance Number 1, Series of 2012, included the prohibition of selling and using vape products “in schools, areas near schools, recreational facilities for minors, elevators and stairwells, gas stations, hospitals, public vehicles, terminals, food preparation areas, public places such as plazas, parks, and playgrounds, City Hall, theaters, and churches.”
Selling vape products to minors is also strictly prohibited, the PIO added.
The amended ordinance also stated that there should be a designated smoking or vaping area approved by the City Health Office (CHO).
A Smoke/Vape-Free Task Force will be formed to monitor violations of the ordinance.
Violators will be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second, and P3,000 with imprisonment for the third offense.
Those caught selling vapes against the ordinance face a P3,000 fine for the first offense, P4,000 for the second, and P5,000 fine, imprisonment, and suspension or revocation of their license or business permit.
Like regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes also produce harmful second-hand smoke through their vapor plumes.
Experts pointed out that e-liquid or e-juice used in vapes contain harmful and toxic chemicals that could affect small lung airways.
These chemicals include nicotine— addictive because once inhaled causes the release of dopamine in the brain; acetone; ethylbenzene (used as a solvent for paints); and rubidium (commonly used in fireworks to produce purple colors).
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