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DOH chief warns vaping more dangerous than cigarettes as youth addiction grows
DOH chief warns vaping more dangerous than cigarettes as youth addiction grows
By Jel Santos
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Sunday, June 1, warned that vaping is more dangerous than smoking traditional cigarettes, as more young Filipinos become addicted to high-nicotine vape products under the false belief that they are safer.
“Sinasabi pa nila mas-safe kaysa sa tobacco smoking. Ang totoo, hindi siya mas safe. Mas delikado siya at mas mataas ang nicotine content at na-a-adik ang mga kabataan sa vape (They say it’s safer than tobacco smoking. The truth is, it’s not. It’s more dangerous, has higher nicotine content, and it’s addicting young people to vape),” he said during a radio
interview.
According to Department of Health (DOH) chief, many teenagers are falling victim to deceptive marketing that promotes vaping as trendy and harmless.
He pointed out that unlike traditional tobacco, vape liquids come in colorful packaging and fruit flavors designed to appeal to minors.
“Kapag nakita mo naman ang advertisements, may fruit flavor and ang pinapalabas nila it is cool kapag ikaw ay nag-va-vape (When you look at the ads, they have fruit flavors and make it seem cool to vape),” said Herbosa.
He cited the documented case of a 22-year-old patient who died at the Philippine General Hospital after developing complications linked to vaping.
The victim reportedly started using vape products at 14, he added.
“So ito ang public health threat natin. Kasi nga mayroon na tayong 22-year-old na namatay last year sa PGH ‘yan, na-document ‘yan. Nag-umpisa siya mag-vape, 14, bawal ‘yun kasi 18 years old and above ang batas natin (This is our public health threat. A 22-year-old died at PGH last year, it’s documented. He started vaping at 14, which is illegal because the law says it’s only for 18 and above),” he said
Herbosa emphasized that the youth’s access to vape products, despite age restrictions, is clear evidence of poor enforcement and widespread illegal sales.
“Ibig sabihin nun, may nagbebenta at nakakabili ang ating kabataan ng vape (That means minors are able to buy vapes, and someone is selling to them).”
Vape use is not only more dangerous but also more expensive than smoking, he added.
The long-term impact of vaping, Herbosa warned, will hit the country’s healthcare system hard.
“So iyan ang public health threat naming kasi kapag tumanda na ang mga bata, may sakit sa puso, magkakaroon ng cancer, so mas naging delikado pa (That’s our public health threat, when these kids grow older, they’ll suffer from heart disease, cancer, and face even more danger),” he said.
The DOH chief also pointed out a shift in national smoking behavior. While traditional cigarette use has declined due to higher sin taxes, vape use has surged.
“Bumaba na ‘yung ating smokers dahil sa Sin Tax, bumaba ng 19 percent lang ng populasyon. Pero iyong pag-va-vape, nagdoble po from 11 percent, naging 24 percent. So dumami po ang na-va-vape. Karamihan ay kabataan kaya naaalarma po ang Department of Health (Our number of smokers went down to 19 percent due to Sin Tax. But vaping doubled, from 11 percent to 24 percent. And most users are young people, that’s why the DOH is alarmed),” he said.