184 vapers warned, 230 e-cigarettes confiscated in Central Visayas

MANILA, Philippines — The Central Visayas police have confiscated a total of 230 e-cigarettes and admonished 184 violators of President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal order banning vaping in public areas.

Brig. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, Central Visayas regional police chief, said his subordinates confiscated the e-cigarettes in 222 police operations launched in the region since Tuesday, when the President ordered the ban, until 6 a.m. Friday.

“We can do regular filing against the offenders,” he said in a text message.

He said the confiscated e-cigarettes will be destroyed.

In a separate statement, he also appealed to vapers to respect the rights of non-smokers.

“Smoking is dangerous to your health. In the same manner, [it is] equally dangerous for secondhand smoke or non-smokers. Cigarette and e-cigarette or vape smoking poses serious health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease and difficulty of breathing,” said De Leon.

De Leon said that after the e-cigarettes were confiscated, the police brought the violators to police stations and recorded the offense in the police blotter.

Violators were released afterward,  pursuant to the order of Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa.

Gamboa said this would be the system in accosting those caught vaping in public pending a new executive order from Malacañang against the use of e-cigarettes in public places

GSG