Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers has hailed the passage of the Vape Law, which he said would help prevent the abuse of illegal substances via vaping.
“Vaping is a fast growing industry and vape products have been prevalent in the country for years now. They were being sold in various forms and chemical combinations to any Tom, Dick and Harry who has the money and the interest to try them, including minors," Barbers, the Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman, said in a statement Saturday, July 30.
"Sadly, there was no law regulating them since, like technology, these vape products were new inventions that were not covered by prevailing laws on smoking,” he noted.
“We discovered during the congressional hearings that illegal substances such as liquid shabu and cannabis oil were being used as additive to the chemicals. Now with this law, all contraptions are required to be ‘closed’ so that no illegal nor regulated substance may be added to the ‘juice’," he said, referring to the liquid used in vape machines.
Barbers said Congress deemed it necessary to craft a law that would regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, advertisement, and promotion of vape products.
"Like all products that affect the health, the sale is now restricted against minors, meaning below 18 years old. This is standard provision worldwide," he added.
Barbers went on to defend vape as opposed to traditional tobacco products.
“It was exhaustively argued that these products are addictive. However, we came to the conclusion based on expert testimonies, records as well as scientific studies that cigarette smoking is the more harmful product. Thus, the vape products are being considered as the less harmful alternative to tobacco smoking. That is all there is to it," the veteran solon said.
"Therefore, with the vape products, there will be less deaths and the government will spend less in the treatment of patients which is not the case in tobacco smoking. It is also observed that this is where more developed countries are going in order to reduce the burden on their governments in terms of public health and safety," he pointed out.