The Vape Bill provides the best hope to help millions of Filipino smokers quit and avoid serious illnesses and even death, according to prominent Filipino doctors who support the regulation of less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.
Dr. Telesforo Gana, past president of the Philippine Urological Association and past chairman of the Philippine Board of Urology, is one of the thousands of former Filipino smokers who were able to quit, with the help of vaporized nicotine products.
“It took me a very long time to stop smoking. Without vapor products, I would not have been able to fully stop. The reality is many smokers will try to stop smoking, but will never be successful. That is what the WHO [World Health Organization] data says,” Dr. Gana said.
Dr. Gana said the Vape Bill, as ratified by Congress, provides a pragmatic approach to address the smoking epidemic that affects 16 million Filipinos.
Dr. Romeo Luna Jr., a top eye doctor and president of the San Juan City Medical Center Staff Association, said he lost relatives and friends because they could not stop smoking.
“The grim reality today is that there are still 16 million Filipino smokers and many of them will not stop smoking. As a medical practitioner, it is my duty to give them an alternative to make them stop smoking. That’s why I support the passage of the Vape Bill because it is our best hope to stop the smoking epidemic,’’ he said.
Other doctors also described the Vape Bill as a big win for public health. “The logical conclusion is that vapor products will save the lives of 16 million Filipino smokers or at the very least reduce their health risks. Therefore, regulation and not prohibition is key. This is what the vape bill seeks to do. The Vape Bill is clearly a big win for public health. Those who would like to ban vaping may indirectly be supporting smoking. We don’t want that,” said Dr. Fernando Fernandez, Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Dental Federation and the past president of the Philippine Dental Association.
An oral and maxillofacial surgery expert, Dr. Fernandez has personally seen what smoking does for patients who develop oral cancer. He said contrary to the personal beliefs of some medical professionals who are against the Vape Bill, many experts in the Filipino medical community believe in the scientific findings of public health authorities in the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union that vapes are much less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.
Dr. Christian Luna, medical director of the Tulay Lingap Ni Padre Pio Surgicenter, said the medical community should focus on cigarettes as the ‘real enemy.’ He said that as less harmful alternatives, vapor products can help end the use of cigarettes in the country.
The Social Watch Philippines (SWP), meanwhile, commended the Department of Education (Deped) for joining the health department and civil society organizations in appealing to veto the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act or the Vape Bill.
“We would like to applaud DepEd for protecting the welfare of Filipino learners. What we need now is an evidence-based policy and recommendations that will secure the reduction of the prevalence of tobacco and nicotine dependence, not a bill that pretends to be a health measure. The Philippines must take the precautionary stance in dealing with the deadly novel tobacco products and immediately implement RA 11467. If passed into law, SB 2239 will continue to alter the image of vapor products, promote doubts on its harms, and mislead the public,” SWP explained.
Dr. Arleen Reyes, past president of the Philippine Dental Association, for her part, said she appreciates the provisions in the Vape Bill that protect minors. “There is no debate that vapor products should not be sold to minors or non-smokers and that this should be properly regulated. Hence, I fully support the inclusion of all necessary safeguards in the Vape Bill to protect minors and non-smokers,” said Dr. Reyes.
Both Senate Bill No 2239 and House Bill No. 9007 have provisions that prohibit the sale of vapor products to minors and impose fine and imprisonment for violators.