Vapedemic kills 22-year-old; DOH-FDA should regulate, not DTI

In a documented case study by PGH doctors, a 22-year-old Pinoy male suffered a fatal heart attack, following a severe lung injury possibly attributed to his daily vape use. This is the first VAPE casualty even as seven other documented EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping use associated lung injury) cases were reported since 2019.

According to researchers, the victim had no history of cigarette smoking, was neither an alcohol drinker, nor user of any illegal drugs and never infected with COVID-19.  His two years of vaping inflicted irreversible damage to his heart and lungs. 

From my view, his untimely death is very clear evidence that electronic cigarettes or vaping are dangers to public health, particularly on our youth of school age. This is also clear evidence that non-smokers, including the non-smoking youth are experimenting on e-cigarettes.  Some critics say that e-cigarettes have become “starter” or initiation product for the youth to progress to the next level.

Recent studies show that one in five Pinoy youth   aged 13- 15 are using electronic cigarettes. This is already 20 percent of our school children, a meteoric leap from the previous 14 percent result of 2019.  Top reasons cited on why students try and use e-cigarettes are: online accessibility (32 percent) flavor (22 percent) and e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes (17).

I blame this vapedemic on government, especially legislators who authored the law that transferred the regulation of electronic cigarettes from the Food and Drug Administration-DOH to the Consumer Safety Division of the Department of Trade and Industry. This is the stupid Republic Act 11900, or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation act that lapsed into law in July 2022 because outgoing President Duterte and incoming President Bongbong did not act on it. This law classifies electronic cigarettes as consumer products, and not a health product. It even lowered the age of access from 21 to 18 years old.

We heard their propaganda before. Vaping and electronic cigarettes are “alternatives” to stop or reduce smoking in the country which they say is 23.8 percent of Filipinos or 16.6 percent.  They also said laws are needed to regulate manufacturing, distribution and consumption to ensure that Filipinos can access less harmful smoke-free alternatives to conventional smoking. And RA 11900 is supposed to be their answer. (Incidentally, the modern e-cigarettes were invented by a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik in Shenyang, China in 2003) 

But if these are “alternatives” to reduce smoking, why did the legislators avoid classifying them as medicinal products or medical devices when that’s what they really are? Why suddenly turn blind and called vapes as “consumer products” and kicked out DOH-Food and Drug administration , the agency that regulates all our medicines?   I am particularly   interested  who are  these senators and congressmen.

To be quite fair, this law was vigorously opposed then by the Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, DepED, numerous medical associations and civil society groups in the halls of Congress

I remember the prophetic remarks of researchers after the approval of RA 11990.  “This legitimizes the use of vaping products but also lowers the age of which they can be accessed”. “Calls of a veto fell flat and the bill became law: with most politicians favoring pro-industry policy”, they said. “With these in place, it will be even easier for an average teenage Filipino to pick up the habit of vaping’. “This is a grim reminder to all that possible repercussion in health choices due to political decisions may be seen in the next few years”, they ended.

And true enough, we now have our first VAPE fatality.

And sadly, even the DTI today cannot supervise nor regulate this “consumer product” who are now in epidemic proportions because of unabated smuggling.   DTI have been complaining of P5-B to P6-B annual revenue loss from illegal vapes. 

Even conventional smoking is dropping like dead fish maybe because of the vaping epidemic.   Last year, tobacco excise taxes fell 16 percent or P134.8 billion pesos compared to P160.5 billion pesos in 2022.  This was 20.6 percent below last year’s target of P169.8-B.   Just three years ago or in 2021, tobacco excise tax was highest at P176-billion. These reduced collections will impact PhilHealth (40 percent), DOH facilities enhancement program (10 percent) and the support for tobacco farmers.

But still, no congressman or senator are howling over this matter. Retailers of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are selling near various schools in all regions. They are openly sold in convenience stores and even sari-sari stores. They are also available online in popular shopping apps and end up in the hands of our young people.

From my view, the Department of Trade and Industry clearly failed not only in their mandate of collecting added revenues on this vape products. It also mishandled the “health implications” of this “consumer product classification” of vape products that are now starting to kill our youth.