The Department of Health stepped into the ring this weekend with its strongest punch yet against the vaping industry, floating the possibility of a nationwide total vape ban amid what it calls deceptive, youth-targeted marketing and rising health dangers. Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, speaking on DZMM, said the situation has reached a point where even students in full uniform are openly vaping in public—evidence, he stresses, that enforcement has collapsed and minors have become the industry’s prime target.
Herbosa slammed flavored vape juices, cartoon-style packaging, and ads presenting vaping as “less harmful,” calling them textbook tactics designed to hook children early. With addiction setting in fast and quitting proving difficult, he said the current law may no longer be enough. “Baka mas madali pang mag–total ban,” Herbosa said—suggesting that the simplest way to protect minors is to remove access altogether. The DOH reiterated that e-cigarettes still lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and lung injury—including the Philippines’ first recorded EVALI death last year.
The World Health Organization backed the alarm bells, warning of a global “new wave of nicotine addiction” driven by e-cigarettes. WHO data shows children are nine times more likely than adults to vape, with at least 15 million minors worldwide already addicted. Officials say aggressive youth targeting, not harm reduction, is what’s fueling the surge. With more than 100 million people now vaping globally, health authorities argue the stakes are too high—and the window to stop another generation from becoming nicotine-dependent is narrowing fast.
Image from Manila Standard