A PARTY-LIST legislator filed a bill on Monday regulating the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes and vaporizers and their use in public places, due to unresolved questions over their safety.
Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the Bagong Henerasyon Party List said she filed House Bill 5510, citing the potential hazards from second-hand inhalation by non-users.
“If enacted, vaping would be banned in most public places. Ngayon kasi kahit saan, may vaping na. Hindi lang naman sila ang nakakalanghap ng vapors, dahil pati ibang tao sa paligid nila, damay (Everywhere you go, there is vaping. It’s not only the users who breathe in the vapors but also people around them who are affected),” she said in a statement on Monday.
The bill will require that those who sell, offer for sale, distribute or transfer vapes and e-cigarettes must comply with Republic Act No. 8792 or the E-Commerce Act and RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. They will also need a certification from the proposed Inter-Agency Committee on Vaping.
Sales to minors will also be prohibited, as will advertising campaigns targeted at the young. The bill also hopes to regulate flavored products, which are typically sold to a youth market.
Violators are subject to a fine of P100,000-P500,000 or imprisonment, while foreigners are subject to deportation.
In June, the Department of Health (DoH) released Administrative Order No. 2019-0007 which requires the licensing of e-cigarettes and vaping producers, which is currently suspended due to an injunction issued by two Regional Trial Courts.
Legislators are also considering taxing e-cigarettes and vaping products. — Gillian M. Cortez
