Vape bill has lapsed into law, Palace says

The controversial vape bill has lapsed into law, Malacañang said on Tuesday. 

This was confirmed by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles to GMA News Online.

The measure provides regulations on the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use, and communication of vape products and novel tobacco products.

It also transfers the regulatory powers over the products from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Departments of Health and Education, medical groups, and Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano had called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the proposed law.

Senator Pia Cayetano has insisted that the Sin Tax law is enough to regulate the use of vapes.

In a separate statement, Cayetano expressed disappointment over the lapsing of the proposed measure into law despite strong opposition by several medical associations.

"To say that I am disappointed in the 18th Congress that passed the bill, and with the President for not vetoing it, will not do justice to the millions of lives that will be put in harm's way because of the Vape Law. My heart is broken but my spirit is not," she said.

"I will never stop fighting for the health and well-being of the Filipinos, even against strong lobbies of industries and policymakers who choose to support their interests over the people," Cayetano added.

On the other hand, Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian said the new vaping law would provide a "much-need" economic boost for small businesses. He was one of the principal authors of the measure in the 18th Congress.

“The vape law likewise comes at a crucial time when industries and businesses are now beginning to bounce back from the impact of lockdowns,” Gatchalian said.

“Reasonable regulations of these products strengthen the government’s twin goals of boosting revenue and fortifying public health policy," he added.

He also said the measure would prevent the "proliferation of the backyard industry depriving the government of much-needed taxes aside from giving jobs to thousands of Filipinos."

"Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), key players in our nation’s economy, stand to benefit from vape bill as well as it mandates that vape and heated tobacco products should be Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-registered and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-compliant,” he said.

Meanwhile, other healthcare professionals and professors have expressed belief that the measure "could help mitigate the serious health risks and possibly save the lives of more than 16 million current Filipino smokers who are at very high risk [of] getting sick and dying due to smoking-related complications."

Both the Department of Health and the Department of Education have opposed the bill, arguing this will undermine existing national laws, policies, and standards on regulation, distribution, and use of vapor products and heated tobacco products.

The DOH also warned that passing such a legislation would expose Filipino youths to an "undue risk of harmful and addictive substances associated with vape use like alcohol, marijuana, and potentially other illicit drugs." —KG/BM, GMA News