Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Metro Manila
Smoke-free, vape-free bill gains support as youth vaping rises
Philippines
Metro Manila
Smoke-free, vape-free bill gains support as youth vaping rises
Smoke-free, vape-free bill gains support as youth vaping rises
By Trixee Rosel
Published Jun 2, 2026 04:52 pm
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte joins youth advocates, lawmakers, and civil society groups during the TobaccOFF NOW! Film Showing and Solidarity Day for the proposed Smoke-Free and Vape-Free Environment Bill held at the 15th Floor of the Quezon City Hall Main Building in Quezon City on June 2, 2026, as stakeholders renew calls for stronger national measures against smoking and vaping in public spaces. (Photo courtesy of Dialysis PH Support Group Inc.)
Public health advocates and lawmakers renewed calls for the immediate passage of the proposed Smoke-Free and Vape-Free Environment Bill amid concerns over increasing tobacco and vape use among Filipino youth.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte joins youth advocates, lawmakers, and civil society groups during the TobaccOFF NOW! Film Showing and Solidarity Day for the proposed Smoke-Free and Vape-Free Environment Bill held at the 15th Floor of the Quezon City Hall Main Building in Quezon City on June 2, 2026, as stakeholders renew calls for stronger national measures against smoking and vaping in public spaces. (Photo courtesy of Dialysis PH Support Group Inc.)
The appeal was made during a gathering in Quezon City in line with World No Tobacco Day and National No Smoking Month, where stakeholders pushed for a nationwide policy to strengthen protections against secondhand smoke and vape aerosol in public spaces and workplaces.
Advocates, lawmakers, and local officials convened during the TobaccOFF NOW! Film Showing and Smoke-Free and Vape-Free Environment Bill Solidarity Day organized in partnership with the Quezon City government, underscoring the need for a comprehensive national law.
The event featured six short films produced by young advocates and filmmakers, highlighting the health risks of smoking and vaping through creative storytelling to encourage stronger policy action.
Advocates cited data showing that about one million Filipino adolescents started smoking or vaping in a single year, while tobacco-related diseases kill an estimated 112,000 people annually, with an economic burden reaching around P365.79 billion each year.
The proposed measure, filed in the 20th Congress by Albay 1st District Rep. Krisel Lagman and other members of the House of Representatives, seeks to establish smoke-free and vape-free environments in all public spaces and workplaces, especially areas frequented by children.
Lagman said exposure to secondhand smoke remains widespread and is imposed on individuals in communities, schools, parks, and even homes.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said stronger regulations are still needed despite growing awareness of the harms of smoking and vaping.
She added that the city government has already implemented smoke-free and vape-free policies and is working toward a more comprehensive ordinance to harmonize existing measures.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also backed the proposal, saying that while local governments have made progress, a national law is needed to ensure consistent implementation across the country.
Civil society groups, including the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement, said communities and youth sectors have shown strong readiness to support stricter policies, and vowed continued advocacy until the bill is enacted.
The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) warned that delays in passing the measure continue to cost thousands of lives and billions of pesos in economic losses annually.
The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) reiterated that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke or vape aerosol, citing regional evidence supporting stronger smoke-free policies.
Organizers said the TobaccOFF NOW! campaign will continue as part of a sustained push to secure the bill’s passage before the end of the 20th Congress.