The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act or the Vape Bill.
The Vape Bill, which has been approved by a congressional bicameral committee, is now an enrolled bill with the Office of the President.
"Patuloy pong hinihiling ng Kagawaran ng Kalusugan ang pag-veto ni Pangulong Duterte ang Senate Bill 2339 at House Bill 9007 o mas kilalang Vape Bill dahil sa panganib sa kalusugan nating lahat lalong lalo na sa ating mga anak (The DOH continues to request President Duterte to veto Senate Bill 2339 and House Bill 9007 or popularly known as Vape Bill because of the health danger it could bring to everyone especially to our children)," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum.
Under Section 21 of the bill, the Department of Trade Industry will be given full authority to regulate the vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products and their devices and novel tobacco products made from tobacco leaves or have nicotine in tobacco.
"Dahil po sa bill na ito, mawawala sa Department of Health at sa Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ang pagbabantay sa pangkalusugang epekto ng mga produktong ito. Mismong Korte Suprema ang nagsabi na masama sa kalusugan ang mga produkto gaya ng tobacco (Because of this bill, the DOH and FDA will lose capacity to monitor the health effects of the products. The Supreme Court itself said products like tobacco are dangerous to health)," Vergeire said.
Earlier, the DOH said it will present its position to the next administration if the bill is enacted into law.
Source: Philippines News Agency
