AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray T. Reyes lauded President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for issuing direct marching orders to fight against illegal vape products and cigarettes.
“We share the President’s concern as illegal vape and e-cigarettes are becoming more and more accessible to the youth,” Reyes said.
Reyes also renewed his call to transfer the mandate of regulating vape products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instead of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“Even minors can easily buy these products that are sold cheap because they do not pay proper taxes,” he added.
Reyes made the statement after President Marcos ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to exert all efforts to catch illegal traders of vape and cigarettes whether they sell these products in physical stores or online.
“More than the loss of revenue from taxes that should have been paid, we should also make sure that vape and e-cigarettes remain off limits to minors,” Reyes said.
The lawmaker also renewed his call to transfer the mandate of regulating vape products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instead of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and said the DTI has been remiss in their duties to regulate vape.
“How can minors still have access to these illegal products? DTI has shown that it lacks the capability to regulate these products strictly,” Reyes said.
The DTI is the government agency charged with implementing Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vape Law.
According to the agency, some of the most common violations are retailers failing to verify the age of buyers and selling vape products that are packaged, labeled, presented, or marketed with flavor descriptors that unduly appeal to minors.
