JUUL Labs, Inc.’s kiosks and authorized stores are implementing strict age verification process to prevent the sale of Juul devices and pods to individuals below 18 years old, according to the exclusive distributor in the Philippines.
This comes as the Department of Health (DoH) expressed concern over Filipino youth’s possible access to e-cigarette products.
“Since Juul Labs was officially launched in the country last June, we have implemented a stringent age verification process, as part of our commitment to preventing youth from gaining access to our products, which have been specifically designed for current adult smokers,” Nilo Mapa, president of Better For You Corp. (BFY), said in a statement.
Customers at Juul Labs kiosks and stores are required to present a government-issued ID with photo and date of birth, such as the Unified Multipurpose ID (UMID), passport, and drivers’ license. Customers will not be allowed to make a purchase without an ID.
The company said each screened customer will be “allowed to purchase a specific number of devices and pods per day, to dissuade illicit trade and distribution, especially to youth.”
“We respect and intend to abide by and uphold all relevant local legislation on the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems. The implementation of these age-verification measures in all our kiosks and retail outlets is only one of our many approaches to keep Juul products inaccessible to youth, with the ultimate objective of deterring underage smoking,” Mr. Mapa said.
In the Philippines, there are over 16 million adult smokers. The World Health Organization has said that around ten Filipinos die every hour due to illnesses related to the use of combustible cigarettes, such as lung cancer, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey showed that while tobacco use among Filipino adults fell by 6% from 2009 to 2015, underage smoking has increased among children aged 13 to 15 years old.
Juul Labs, the US-based vaping startup, has expressed support for the Philippine government’s stance against underage smoking.
“We do not want anyone who doesn’t smoke or doesn’t already use nicotine, to use Juul products. We certainly do not want youth using the product. It is bad for public health, and it is bad for our mission,” Ken Bishop, Juul Labs President for Asia Pacific South, was quoted as saying.
“Globally, we have implemented a strict action plan to combat underage use. We minimize appeal through a strict marketing and advertising code of conduct and prominent nicotine labeling. Further, we limit access to our products through stringent retailer regulations and checks.”
