Department of Health Sec. Ted Herbosa has expressed his desire, if not plans, to move for the total ban on vape products in the Philippines. What is not clear is whether Secretary Herbosa was just speaking his mind or was being quoted at yet another health forum.
In all honesty, I would support any campaign that the DOH launches for the total ban on vape products in the Philippines. The science and medical data on the risks of vaping tell us that it is deadlier than cigarette smoking and takes less time to cause serious lung damage.
Having been a heavy smoker in midlife, I have now been found to be suffering from COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It’s a long name for recurring respiratory difficulties and threats.
Since 2026 started, I’ve already had two respiratory infections, requiring a weeklong cocktail of strong antibiotics accompanied by inhalers and medicines that dissolve mucus buildup that causes severe shortness of breath, wheezing, and sleepless nights.
As the saying goes, “It is something I would not wish upon my worst enemy.” It starts with a simple sore throat, stuffy nose, coughing, wheezing, and being unable to sleep from the wheezing noise, chest congestion – and at my age, you don’t delay calling your doctor because it could lead to serious complications.
Most of us “smokers” took a lifetime to develop COPD, while others got hit with lung cancer. But we are supposed to be luckier than today’s vape users, who are lining up for lotto tickets for instant karma like “popcorn lung syndrome.”
One serious obstacle to Secretary Herbosa’s aspiration is that those who have discovered that there’s so much money to be made in vape products are companies that can control or influence the narrative and policies in the sale of vape products.
But before Secretary Herbosa decides to marshal his troops and supporters, I would counsel the good secretary to review the state of the different campaigns undertaken by DOH, health advocates, and Congress and see what has been happening behind their backs.
For instance, the hardline campaign against cigarettes that started in previous administrations seems to be “all up in smoke.” Cigarette companies are not allowed to advertise their products in public spaces or sell them near schools, etc.
Well, the brands are back! There is Marlboro, Chesterfield, Camel, and Winston. All these are printed on storefront signs as mini billboards.
Whenever we drive through the Laguna–Batangas provinces and highways, we see more and more eye-catching, colorful signs in front of or above sari-sari stores. I even saw one in Makati.
The question is: Who is supposed to regulate this? I can understand how telcos, soft drinks, and noodle soups are allowed to be displayed above or in front of sari-sari stores – but cigarettes? These are regulated products.
Consistency and regulation are the spears upon which we impale programs. Aside from the ban on advertising tobacco products, another failed program, especially in Metro Manila, is the “ban on the use and sale of plastic bags.”
After about a year of its implementation, the ban on plastic bags was so effective that you could not get the “handy, useful plastic bag” anymore. People slowly but surely shifted to using boxes, eco-bags, or, like us, making grocery bags from used clothing.
But sometime in 2024 or 2025, the notorious plastic bags once again resurfaced. Some were allegedly biodegradable, eco-friendly, and guaranteed to disintegrate or decompose.
I suspect that the return of plastic bags was triggered by public demand that dog owners use doggy bags to clean up after their pets. From cute little longganisa-like bags, practicality and availability brought back plastic bags.
What never really went away or was strictly regulated or monitored were those bin-size garbage bags that fit perfectly in city hall–issued garbage bins. So once again, what we managed to control against all odds is now on the loose.
If practicality dictates that “bags” remain in use, maybe we can promote using reused bags or sacks. Someone even suggested we bring back the “refundable deposit” policy on bottles and packaging.
Back in the time of Rodrigo Duterte, there was an effort to regulate and apply manufacturers’ original equipment standards, particularly on motorcycles and scooters. The focus was on modified aftermarket exhaust pipes that made small bikes sound big.
The goal was to reduce noise pollution, alarm, or scandal. Nowadays, some of these aftermarket-modified bikes are loud enough to be the community wake-up call as they drive past villages at five in the morning.
The question is: What did past administrations have that the PBBM administration lacks in order to sustain hard-won regulation and control of policies and programs?
Is the national government actually implementing something worthwhile for public health, safety, and peace and order, or do we all rely on the proverbial attitude based on KKB, also known as Kanya-kanyang Barangay, doing what the national government should be doing?
The Marcos Jr. administration cannot be expected to produce moral or economic miracles in the face of endemic local corruption or global downturns.
But what it can and should do is literally promote cleaning our backyards and improving the environmental and social quality of life – just so it can be said that it actually did something more than talk, read speeches, and impeach the Vice President.
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