Health groups to government: Ban vapes

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February 28, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Public health groups urged the government to impose an absolute ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other nicotine delivery products, citing their harmful effects and increasing accessibility, especially to the youth.

The call was made after Myanmar officially became the eighth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country to implement a total vape ban, amid current deliberations in the Philippine Congress regarding tobacco and vape taxes.

Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, HealthJustice board member and former health secretary, said the country’s legislators are “still debating tax rates for vapes and other nicotine delivery products” when Myanmar has joined seven other ASEAN countries in implementing a total vape ban.

“While we support calls for higher and uniform taxes for all tobacco products as a step toward restricting these products, we also stand firm in pushing for a comprehensive ban. Such a measure will provide the strongest protection for public health and ensure administrative and regulatory clarity,” Tan said.

He added that if Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam have implemented a comprehensive vape ban, “the Philippines can, too.”

According to data from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control in 2019 and 2021, about 14 percent (1.21 million) of Filipino youth and two percent (1.63 million) of adults use e-cigarettes.

Tan noted with alarm that 70 percent of surveyed youths believe e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes, while nearly 51 percent reported using e-cigarettes to reduce or quit smoking.

Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance executive director, said e-cigarettes are falsely marketed as harm-reduction and smoking cessation tools.

“In reality, e-cigarette liquids and aerosols are toxic. Nicotine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, suppress the immune response and promote cancer development, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and flavorings, when inhaled, irritate the airways and damage lung tissue, causing chronic respiratory diseases,” Dorotheo said.

“Higher taxes on harmful products can discourage consumption, but if we truly want to protect public health, a total ban is the strongest measure the government can take to stop this worsening tobacco and vape epidemic,” he added.