The Sin Tax Coalition group urged President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to veto the vape bill.
In a statement, the group said that by vetoing Senate Bill 2239 or the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act will help "prevent more young non-smokers from being introduced to nicotine addiction."
“The Vape Bill, which lapses into law on July 24 unless vetoed or signed, puts our youth at harm by lowering the age of access to vape products from 21 to 18 years old,” the group said.
“We fear that expanding access to vapes will do more harm to young people than it will do good to smokers who want to quit smoking,” it added.
The group said that the proposed measure is a "deregulatory measure masquerading as a health measure and waters down existing strong regulations on vape products."
Marcos' recent move to reject House Bill 7575 or the proposed act of Establishing the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport was a "good precedent to veto another bill that was approved prior to your term," the group said.
"You vetoed HB 7575 because of its fiscal risks and its infringement on or conflict with other agencies' mandates. The Senate Bill 2239, or the Vape Bill, similarly poses significant health risks on the Filipino people, on the heels of a pandemic that ravaged our health care system," the group said.
"It goes against existing laws and an international tobacco control treaty that the Philippines has been part of since 2005. Like you did in vetoing HB 7575, demonstrate your strong political will. Show that you care for the welfare of the youth, the future of our nation. Veto the vape bill," it added.