THE Baguio Health Department (BHD) reminded the public to adhere to the ordinance banning the use of e-cigarettes or vapes in public places.
In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code forum of the Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM), Doctor Donnabel Tuvera of the BHD stressed that recent studies indicate that the use of e-cigarettes causes cancer.
“What is the effect in the use of vapes? A study was made by the academe at the University of California Los Angeles(UCLA) and what they found out is that e-cigarettes causes different health issues and based on progressive reports, it contains nicotine which causes cancer,” Tuvera said.
Baguio recently amended Ordinance 8 of 2008, which is anchored on the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Local Government Code of 1991, the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Civil Service Commission Memorandum circular (MC) 17, 2009, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board MC 2009-036, and the Civil Service Commission-Department of Health joint MC 2010-01.
Aside from banning smoking in public, selling or distributing of tobacco products, or e–cigarettes and vapes, as well as posting, displaying through posters, leaflets in point-of-sale establishments where prohibited, or where minors frequent, are not allowed.
“Our ordinance covers e-cigarette and that is how forward looking our ordinance is, and what it is saying is that smoking is not allowed in public except in designated areas only. What is happening now is that those using e-cigarettes are still smoking, which is a double burden because before, it used to be that a person only smokes but now, a person smokes cigarette and vapes together,” Tuvera said.
The ordinance also indicates displaying and promoting tobacco or vapes, except in enclosed, opaque and single-colored storages, is not allowed.
Smoking areas also need to be approved by the City Health Services Office.
“Children now as early as 13-14 years old use vaping because they thought that it is safer than cigarette. What we are trying to say based on studies is that the World Health Organization does not recommend this as a thing that will help someone to quit smoking,” Tuvera added.