Alternative smoking devices to have graphic warning next year

MANILA, Philippines — Starting next year, even alternative smoking devices are required to have graphic health warnings (GHW), just like traditional cigarettes.

Anton Javier, project manager for product research and standards development at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said Republic Act 11346 does not only provide for the imposition of higher taxes on cigarettes.

Javier said the measure, known as Tobacco Tax Law 2019, also mandates the printing of GHW on the packaging of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), vapes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) by 2020.

“They will be covered by RA 11346. Because that is the law, the industry will have to comply,” he said.

GHWs pertain to photographs depicting the ill-effects of smoking.  

Javier clarified that while FDA has control over e-cigs and vapes, the HTPs are under the jurisdiction of the Inter-Agency Committee for Tobacco (IAC-T) since it involves the use of tobacco that is heated using an electronic device to produce aerosols. 

In e-cigs and vapes, a liquid containing mixture of substances like nicotine is used to produce vapors.

Currently, GHW is imprinted on the packaging of traditional cigarettes as mandated by the GHW Law or RA 10643.

The official maintained they are now waiting for the implementing rules and regulations of RA 11346 to come out.

“From what I know, the law will be implemented by 2020. I think a technical working group will be formed by the departments of health and finance for the implementation,” he said.

Health advocacy groups Sin Tax Coalition and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have expressed hope that by having GHW on the electronic smoking devices, Filipinos, especially the youth, will be discouraged from using these.