Photo by Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo
Photo by Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo

Vape shop owner feels pinch of ban

VAPE shop owners and local suppliers said they have been "badly" affected by President Rodrigo Duterte's ban on the importation of electronic cigarettes and vaping products.

Bob Wenceslao, a vape shop owner in Quezon City, said on Wednesday, December 11, that his sales plunged after Duterte gave the order.

With the plan to further increase taxes on vaping devices, he said they might lose their source of livelihood.

“Malaki po ang inihina ng vape natin, kung dati po nagse-sale ng P10,000 ngayon nasa P2,000 na lang, mahina po talaga,” he said. (Our sales drastically dropped to only P2,000 now from the previous P10,000.)

“Pag nag-tax sila dyan medyo mataas na talaga yan siguro P3,000 to P5,000 ang itataas niyan, sa juice po ang alam ko 45 pesos per ml ang itataas nila so kung P50 or P45 medyo mabigat na po yan,” he added.

(The tax will probably adjusted by P3,000 or P5,000. For the juice, what I know is that the tax will go up by P45 per milliliter. A tax of P45 or P50 is already heavy.)

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac expressed belief on Wednesday that the ban on the entry of imported electronic cigarettes in the country will pave the way for the total vape ban in the Philippines.

“Nakikita natin na patuloy o patungo na don ang direksyon ng ating bansa sa total ban ng vape o e- cigarettes at ito ay alinsunod sa kautusan ng Pangulo ng pagkakaroon ng smoke free environment ang public spaces alang alang sa public health,” he said in an interview.

On Monday, House ways and means committee chairperson Joey Salceda said airport authorities will start to confiscate imported vapes. The National Tobacco Administration and the Food and Drug Administration will also stop the issuance of permits for the importation of vapes.

Salceda also said they were studying the possibility of increasing the tax to P45 per milliliter of vape to discourage its use.

Duterte on November 20, 2019 ordered the arrest of those who will be caught vaping in public. He also said he will ban the importation of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices because these are toxic and habit-forming.

Duterte issued the order following the confirmation of the first vape-related illness involving a 16- year-old girl in Central Visayas.

Based on Duterte's order, police have arrested 98 violators and confiscated 98 e-cigarettes in Metro Manila.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said 812 vape stores have been closed while 297 others were advised to close. (SunStar Philippines)

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