Pia lauds DOH, FDA, PMA; calls on President Marcos to listen to the unanimous call of health experts fo veto the Vape Bill

Statement of Senator Pia S. Cayetano

* One of two senators who voted against the Vape Bill in the 18th Congress
* Principal sponsor, Sin Tax Law of 2020 (RA 11467)

The medical and scientific experts on tobacco and vape control have spoken. And they have unanimously taken a stand against the enactment of the Vape Bill, which seeks to severely weaken government regulations on vapes and e-cigarettes, while endangering public health and our youth's future.

I laud the Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Philippine Medical Association (PMA) for reaffirming their position that the Vape Bill must be vetoed by the President. Thank you for staying true to your mandate as vanguards of public health.

I urge the few doctors supporting the Vape Bill to read the measure in its entirety and answer these questions:

1) will the bill's provisions lowering the age of access to vapes from 21 to 18, and allowing multiple vape flavors to flood the market benefit or harm the youth? and

2) will the bill's provision transferring regulatory authority over vapes from FDA to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ensure the protection of our people and youth from the harmful effects of vapes? I trust that the truth will help you rethink your stand.

Finally, I reiterate my call to the President to heed the united voice of health authorities and medical doctors to veto the Vape Bill. May we continue to build on our gains and work to create a safer and healthier nation for current and future generations of Filipinos.

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Attached documents:

1) Letter of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the Vape Bill

2) Statement of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of the DOH's recommendation urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the Vape Bill