By Chito Chavez Children’s rights groups have stressed the urgency for Congress to pass a law mandating stricter regulation of e-cigarettes and vaping to protect children, as 25 percent of the one million e-cigarette smokers in the country are within the 10 to 19 age range. In a bid to protect public health and interest, President Duterte has ordered a ban on the use and importation of vaping products or electronic cigarettes in the country (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN) The Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLPCD) urged that such regulation should be crafted now as the House Committee on Trade and Industry and the Committee on Health have started deliberations on several bills seeking to regulate the manufacture, importation, packaging, sale, distribution, use, and advertisement of electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems. “The Philippines has made great strides in enforcing tobacco control, with both the national and local governments slowly but steadily enforcing smoking bans in public places, and stronger restrictions on the sale and promotion of cigarettes, especially for minors. Yet an elephant in the room remains – the influx and rising prevalence of the use of e-cigarettes. This is an issue that Congress indeed needs to face head-on,” said PLPCD executive director Romeo Dongeto. Department of Health (DOH) records show that around one million Filipinos use e-cigarettes and a fourth of them are aged between 10 to 19 years old. “There is a false belief that e-cigarettes are safer than customary tobacco products. Scientific data have already shown how ENDS/ENNDS can at times be more harmful, and inflict detrimental effects especially on young users,” Dongeto stressed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already repeatedly warned that e-cigarettes are harmful to health since they contain addictive liquids with big doses of nicotine and other toxic substances. Dongeto said the DOH had also cautioned the public regarding harmful chemicals in these devices such as nicotine, ultra-fine particles, carcinogens, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds. Results generated from peer-reviewed studies show that e-cigarette juices contain high levels of addictive nicotine, which can result in acute or even fatal poisoning through ingestion and other means. Studies have also shown that using nicotine in adolescence can harm parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs while accidental ingestion of nicotine is also poisonous to children and the accidental explosion of devices can also cause physical harm. Recently, the DOH announced that it has received official report on the first case of e-cigarette or Vape-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) from a private pediatric pulmonologist based in the Visayas. PLCPD reminded legislators that there is actually strong public support for more stringent tobacco regulation. Results of a national survey on smoking conducted by Pulse Asia from January 26 to 31, 2019 showed that nine out of 10 Filipinos agree that the minimum age of those allowed to buy and use tobacco products should be increased from 18 to 25.