Last November 15, the first reported case of illness related to vaping or e-cigarettes in the Philippines was confirmed by the Department of Health. It involved a teenage girl from Central Visayas who used e-cigarettes “concurrently” with regular cigarettes.
Following this news, President Duterte on November 19 banned the use of vaping devices in public as well as its importation. “Because it’s toxic, and the government has the power to issue measures to protect public health and public interest,” he said.
Duterte says vape contains nicotine and other unknown chemicals and it has not passed FDA: Smoking is dangerous and vaping is also dangerous and I am banning it. And if you are smoking now, you will be arrested. I am banning its importation
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) November 19, 2019
Naturally, everyone sent out their thoughts online. In the Philippines, there are over a million vape users, according to DOH. Some Filipinos say using vape instead of normal cigarettes is their own form of nicotine replacement therapy, some say using e-cigarettes cost them less than buying packs of regular cigarettes daily. The DOH, of course, disagrees and still says that using any of these will cause lung illness.
It’s only banned in public places.
Wala naman sinasabing bawal na hay naku bawal lang sa public na dapat lang naman, 🙄 desiplina lang yan sa kapwa tao na hindi naman ng gaganyan pero nahihigop lahat ng usok, lalo na ang yosi! kaloka!
— S H E N G (@sheennagonzales) November 20, 2019
For non-smokers, this is good news. This means they won’t have to inhale vape fumes on top of the vehicle pollution their lungs are treated to daily. Besides, the ban is only for public places. Vapers can still smoke in the comfort of their office smoking areas, homes, and dare we say, obscure alleys?
“Let people choose their poison.”
Ban vape but not cigarettes? I don’t know bout you but to me it sounds like Philippines wants cigarettes to flourish again in the country. Cig taxes are so expensive, but vape gives the government nothing. It’s not about caring about public health, you just want your money back.
— Tea (@TyreeseKrezil) November 19, 2019
Which should be banned anyway? Cigarettes or vape? Or maybe both? If we’re really looking after people’s welfare, then why wasn’t the 2017 nationwide smoking ban implemented more strictly? Are “laws” really just suggestions for Filipinos?
Can the President really pass this as a law?
Even though the order might seem as if it was given on a whim (who knows, it might have), the President has said that he will be using his power to put the order into action and the Executive Order will follow. He has given law-enforcement agencies the authority to arrest anyone they see who will be vaping in public.
The conspiracy theories
A lot of people have tried looking at the matter with the perspective of a businessman. Since vape is the direct competitor of normal cigarettes and it’s more affordable in the long run, cigarette companies, and by extension, the government, might have feared they would run out of business in the future. In the Philippines, instead of encouraging healthy competition among businessmen to further our economy, we like to eliminate the competitors. Look at what happened to Uber.
The optimist
Some people can’t help say “Look at the bright side!” Maybe just like the “nationwide smoking ban,” those who vape will have to quit vaping for about a week or two until all this simmers down. You know, some people have to have their 15 minutes of fame and after that, all will be back to normal in no time.
Think about it
This level of ignorance:
Cigarettes: 3mg dosage of Nicotine per stick
=
Vape juice: 3mg to 1.5mg to 0mg dosage of nicotine in one 30ml, 65ml to 100ml bottle of diluted vegetable glycerineLiterally no one:
Duterte: ban vapingYou should have advertised lung cancer as well. https://t.co/UgF95pQeGX
— makuchino (@mArkitectura98) November 19, 2019
This netizen even made a comparison of which vice is less unhealthy (since both of them obviously are). Aside from the extreme smoke and weird concoctions of smell vaping gives off, its benefits might be better than that of cigarettes.
There’s the advanced mag-isip
now this scary. this can lead to…….. “ayaw sumunod, nanlaban”
— Ghost (@hifi_37) November 20, 2019
This might sound a bit advanced mag-isip but some people suffered more under worse and simpler circumstances.
The most appropriate reply of all
Ok boomer
— TRUTHGUY666 (@JERICHO619316) November 20, 2019
What do you think of this e-cigarette ban? Share your thoughts with us!
