The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have lauded the recent signing of Executive Order No. 106 by President Rodrigo Duterte which prohibits the manufacture, distribution, marketing and sale of unregistered and/or adulterated Electronic Nicotine/Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/ENNDS) or electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and other novel tobacco products.
“This Executive Order is a solid step forward to compel the industry to comply with our regulations, which are specifically aimed at protecting children from nicotine addiction,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque, III said in a statement on Friday.
Under EO 106, access to ENDS/ENNDS and HTPs has been restricted to persons over 21 years of age.
The use of e-cigarettes and HTPs has also been included in the nationwide smoking ban.
The EO also prohibits the sale of these products until they are granted appropriate pre-market authorization.
“These regulations were benchmarked against international standards for novel tobacco product regulation which signifies that we are committed to aligning our rules with meaningful public health policies that save millions of lives yearly,” Duque added.
In light of the EO signing and pursuant to Republic Act No. 11467, FDA will be realigning its policy directions to ensure industry accountability.
“They have to be enrolled in a notification scheme for traceability. Heated tobacco and similar products must undergo pre-market approval and post-market surveillance to ensure compliance with updated product safety and marketing standards. We are committed to ensuring that tobacco marketing is not aimed at children.” FDA director Eric Domingo said.
“With the President as our reliable ally in public health, and with medical associations and advocacy groups joining our campaign, our anti-smoking efforts are made stronger. However, we call on parents and communities to take active participation in campaigning against vaping and all forms of smoking to protect Filipinos—especially children—from the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes,” Duque said. (DOH-FDA)
