Fake news.
This was the warning of the Department of Health (DOH) as the vaping industry said in its latest marketing strategy that vape and other novel nicotine products are safe.
‘It’s fake news that vapes are safer than cigarettes,’ Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.
With this, the DOH is strengthening the campaign to protect the Filipinos against smoking and vaping.
COP 11
Meanwhile, Parents Against Vape (PAV) said that alarms have already been sounded that the tobacco industry is attempting to influence the proceedings and outcome of the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 11) will be held from November 17 to 22, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
‘Its purpose is to discuss and decide on measures to achieve the objectives of the WHO FCTC, including the prevention of nicotine addiction,’ PAV said in a statement.
The Illusion of ‘safe’ smoke
PAV assailed the seductive pitch of vaping firms which stated: ‘It’s safer,’ ‘It’s cleaner,’ ‘It helps people quit cigarettes.’
‘But the reality is far more sinister. The industry pours resources into obscuring harms, funding favorable research, and influencing policies to appear legitimate. The increase in e-cigarette use is not because smokers switched,’ PAV said.
Evidence shows the majority of vape users are the youth, many of whom never smoked, PAV said.
‘This proves that vaping is not merely an alternative for smokers; it has become a gateway for a new generation of nicotine addicts. We see the consequences: curiosity leads to experimentation, experimentation to addiction, and addiction to long-term lung damage, nicotine dependence, and even a gateway to conventional smoking.’
Industry tactics
The WHO FCTC report underscores how industry tactics have shifted from open confrontation to sophisticated influence:
Lobbying governments and national delegations;
Infiltrating negotiations via front groups and industry-funded ‘independent’ voices;
Co-opting scientific research to sow doubt; and
Pushing misleading economic narratives (jobs, taxation, farming).
Strong regulation matters
PAV pointed out that if the vape industry is allowed to influence health policies, the result will damage to children’s lungs, minds, and futures.
‘The proposed policies using ‘harm reduction’ to cut vape taxes don’t protect children; they protect industry profits. This is not harm reduction, but harm promotion,’ PAV said.
Hence, the PAV is demanding:
Zero compromise on youth protection: Age limits, flavor bans, plain packaging, and strict marketing controls must be non-negotiable.
Full transparency and removal of industry influence: Policymakers must fully implement protections from industry interference. WHO FCTC Article 5.3 must be honored in practice, not just rhetoric.
Strong enforcement and accountability: Weak laws are meaningless. Enforcement must have teeth: fines, bans, and real consequences for violations.
Education and awareness: Children deserve honest information, not half-truths spun by PR firms. Parents, teachers, and schools must be partners in countering marketing lies.
Vigilance and civic engagement: Parents must stay alert. When regulators convene or draft laws are published, parents must occupy those spaces, demand accountability, and resist industry influence.
PAV also called on all stakeholders to resist industry influence.
‘ As parents, we will not allow big tobacco or big vape to rewrite the rules behind closed doors. Let every negotiation, regulation, and law bear witness. When it comes to our children’s futures, we will not yield,’ PAV concluded