Regulation of flavored tobacco products pushed

MANILA, Philippines – Researchers from the Ateneo Policy Center on Wednesday called for the regulation of flavored tobacco products to discourage consumption.

After finding widespread use of flavor descriptors in 106 cigarette and cigar products from four major cities in the country, the think tank’s Tobacco Control and Governance team pushed for a potential ban on flavored tobacco products and the adoption of plain packaging to curb appeal.

“It is ideal to enforce a ban on flavored tobacco products in compliance with the WHO FCTC (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control), to which the Philippines is a signatory. Policymakers should consider plain packaging as an intervention to eliminate the appeals associated with flavored tobacco products,” the study stated.

The researchers categorized the flavors into five: menthol, concept descriptors, beverages, tobacco and other flavors.

“Historically, tobacco companies have used flavoring agents to enhance the appeal of tobacco consumption, encourage initiation and experimentation of tobacco use, and sustain tobacco use,” the Ateneo Policy Center said.

“However, the Philippines currently does not regulate flavored tobacco products, despite the increasing market shares of flavored tobacco products and novel technologies such as crushable capsules.” it added.

Last year, the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Portland State University linked flavor chemicals found in cigarettes to the product’s appeal to Filipino consumers.

WHO FCTC implementing guidelines state: “From the perspective of public health, there is no justification for permitting the use of ingredients, such as flavoring agents, which help make tobacco products attractive.”

According to the country’s profile on the 2021 WHO Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 15.1 million Filipinos use tobacco products.