The Youth for Health Coalition sounded the alarm over the the use vape products by young students, citing the adverse health effects.
The group’s convenor, Aliyah Mae Lozari, expressed the concern at the House of Representatives ways and means committee hearing on the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed unified P72.9 excise tax on cigarettes and vape products on Tuesday.
‘Labis na nakakabahala ang mabilis na pagkalat ng vape sa mga schools, lalo na’t naaakit nito ang mga kabataang madaling maimpluwensyahan ng kanilang mga kaibigan, kamag-aral at pati na ang social media,’ she told lawmakers.
(The fast spread of vapes in schools is alarming, especially since it entices the youth who are easily influenced by their friends, classmates and by social media.)
‘Ang tanong namin: ilang buhay pa kaya ang hihintayin natin bago natin aksyunan ang negatibong epektong ito ng vape sa mga kabataan?’ she added.
(We ask: How many more lives should be lost before we take action on the negative effects of vapes on children?)
Lozari said that based on their group’s observation, elementary and high school students are now able to buy vapes since more stores are set up near schools while some sellers are on social media platforms.
She also explained that some vape products are designed supposedly to cater to the youth with flavors and packaging akin to milk tea.
The Youth for Health Coalition convenor cited the potential electronic cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injuries (EVALI) that may be sustained by users.
‘Bukod dito, ang paglaganap ng vape sa mga paaralan ay maaaring magresulta rin sa malaking productivity loss sa mga kabataan ngayon at sa hinaharap,’ Lozari explained.
(Apart from this, the proliferation of vapes in schools may also result in widespread productivity loss among the youth now and in the future.)
‘Dahil sa vape, maaaring maapektuhan ang aming konsentrasyon, kahusayan at sipag sa pag-aaral at sa iba naming pinagkakaabalahan,’ she added.
(Because of vapes, our concentration, our skill and our motivation in our studies and our other endeavors may be affected.)
Earlier in the hearing, DOF Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Undersecretary Karlo Fermin Adriano explained that the department sought to impose a P72.93 tax per milliliter (mL) of both salt nicotine and freebase nicotine.
Currently, freebase nicotine is taxed at P6.95 per mL and salt nicotine at P60.29 per mL.
‘Kung magkakaiba ang buwis na nakapataw dahil lamang magkaiba ang uri ng nicotine sa mga produktong ito, maaaring lumipat lamang ang mga consumer sa freebase nicotine dahil mas mura ito kumpara sa salt nicotine,’ Lozari said.
(If the tax imposed is different just because they’re different kinds of nicotine, consumers may just switch to freebase nicotine since it’s cheaper compared to salt nicotine.)
‘Higit pa dito, maaaring magsilbing unang hakbang ang vape tungo sa paggamit at pagkalulong ng mga kabataan sa tradisyonal na sigarilyo,’ she added.
(Vapes may serve as the youth’s gateway to using and being addicted to traditional cigarettes.)
At the same hearing, however, Minimal Government Thinkers researcher Bienvenido Oplas Jr. expressed opposition to having the same tax rate for tobacco products and vape products.
Oplas cited his own study which found that Indonesia, Canada, South Africa, Malaysia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and New Zealand imposed different taxes on the two product types.
Also at the hearing, Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation lawyer Noel de Luna cited New Zealand’s practice.
‘New Zealand has a 100-percent tax differential because a part of their tobacco control policy is to wean people away from cigarettes to vapor products. That’s why they’re not taxing vapor products in New Zealand as of the moment,’ he said.