DOH backs Finance chief’s proposal to ban disposable vapes

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday that it supported Finance Secretary Ralph Recto’s proposal to prohibit disposable vapes “because of their harmful effects on our health and the environment.”

While the proposal of the Department of Finance chief is limited only to the disposal of vapes, the DOH has pushed for a ban on all kinds of vapes and e-cigarettes, as well as tobacco and heated tobacco products. It has also stood firm on its position that vapes are not a safer alternative to cigarettes.

Unlike regular vapes which require recharging and refilling, disposable vapes are nonrechargeable devices. Usually sold as vape pods or pens, these are designed for one-time use after running out of vape juice or battery.

According to the DOH, disposable vapes and vapor products also pose significant health risks, including e-cigarette or vapor product-associated lung injury (EVALI) and nicotine addiction, on top of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Not tax law-compliant

On Tuesday, Recto proposed a ban on disposable vape products, saying that most were not registered with the Department of Trade and Industry and do not pay excise taxes.

READ: DOH backs Recto’s proposal to ban disposable vapes

Under Republic Act No. 11467, a tax of P37 per millimeter should be imposed on salt nicotine vapor products in the first year and an additional P5 per ml per year until the rate reaches P52 per ml in 2024. Afterward, the tax will be increased by 5 percent every year.

Recto estimated that if manufacturers and distributors of disposable vapes complied with the law, the selling price of each device should not be lower than P3,000.

However, disposable vapes were being sold online from anywhere between P120 and over P500 each.