A health advocacy group is urging newly elected officials to take bold steps in creating a smoke-free and vape-free generation. The call aims to protect non-smokers from the health risks of tobacco and vape products.

Parents Against Vape (PAV) said local and national leaders must push for policy reforms and provide support for those trying to quit smoking. The group also emphasized the need to limit access to vapes to protect young people’s health.

“We believe that our elected officials could reduce vaping uptake among children and youth,” PAV said, adding that smoking and vaping harm the lungs and heart.

PAV also called for stronger public awareness campaigns. “We always say, tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are harmful. 

Vaping and smoking are addictive. Both bring potentially dangerous chemicals into the body,” they added.

Most vapes contain nicotine, a substance known to cause serious health problems.

Opposition to HB 11360

PAV and the Sin Tax Coalition also urged Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to reject House Bill No. 11360. They warned that the bill is a “Trojan horse” disguised as regulation but could weaken public health policies.

“We remind our legislators: sin taxes are not just about revenue. They are a shield that protects the next generation. When we lower these taxes, we lower our defenses. When we compromise, it is our children’s lungs, hearts, and futures that pay the price,” they said.

“To yield now would be to betray the public trust, to exchange public health for private gain. Let us not mortgage our children’s future to an industry built on addiction.

We urge our lawmakers: stand on the side of health, not harm. Stand with the people, not with profit.”

DOH Raises Alarm

The Department of Health (DOH) raised concern over the rising use of tobacco and vape among adults. The 2023 National Nutrition Survey showed an increase from 19% in 2021 to 24.4% in 2023 among adults aged 20–59.

The DOH said tobacco is a major risk factor for heart and lung diseases. It also cited data showing heart attacks, cancer, and strokes—linked to tobacco—are the top causes of death in the country.

Smoking is also connected to other illnesses, including COPD, Type 2 diabetes, reproductive issues, eye disorders, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Secondhand smoke remains dangerous. It can cause heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer in adults, and increases asthma, infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in children.

EVALI Death Confirmed

The DOH confirmed the country’s first vaping-related death due to EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury). The case involved a 22-year-old athletic man with no prior vices who started vaping at a young age.

“Vapes and vapor products pose significant health risks including e-cigarette or vapor product associated lung injury (EVALI), nicotine addiction, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, among others,” the DOH said.

It urged users to call the DOH Quitline 1558 or seek help from cessation programs.