By Gerald John Guillermo
I grew up in a household where smoking was normal. I used to buy cigarette packs for my father at the neighborhood store. The grotesque image of a body ravaged by tobacco posted in rural health centers where my mother worked left an indelible imprint that made the dangers of smoking undeniable to me. But some children in our barangay still ended up smoking even though I refused to.
I saw firsthand how decades of public health campaigns, higher taxes, and advocacy helped make cigarette smoking less desirable, especially among the youth in the Philippines. The iconic “Yosi Kadiri” campaign of the 1990s was pivotal in making smoking socially unacceptable.
However, the industry behind cigarettes has resurfaced, rebranding and repackaging its products. Sleek vapes with candy flavors and gadget-like designs are marketed not as harmful, addictive products, but as symbols of freedom, creativity, and self-expression. This is the essence of “vapewashing” — convincing young people that vaping is harmless, stylish, and liberating, effectively rebranding addiction as identity. The term borrows from “greenwashing,” where corporations use deceptive marketing to appear socially responsible.
The tobacco industry has repackaged its old business model in the language of innovation and wellness, speaking of a “smoke-free future” while actively appealing to the youth with flavored vapes and heated tobacco products. This subtle manipulation positions vaping as a choice and a symbol of independence, making young people believe they are rejecting old smoking norms when they are, in reality, embracing the same addiction in a new form.
What makes this deception more dangerous is its enablement by government complicity. In the Philippines, tobacco companies are given public platforms to promote their so-called “smoke-free future,” despite continuing to profit from traditional cigarette sales.
The passage of a weak vape law, Republic Act (RA) 11900, further legitimized this narrative by transferring regulatory authority from the Department of Health to the Department of Trade and Industry. This move frames vaping as a consumer issue rather than a public health threat, creating a regulatory environment that favors industry growth over public protection.
The same companies that once denied smoking dangers now market vapes as “harm reduction tools” and the “future of smoking” — a supposedly cleaner, safer alternative for smokers looking to quit.
Yet, the data shows that vaping has risen fastest among teenagers who never smoked in the first place. Globally and in the Philippines, one in four adolescents has already tried e-cigarettes. Flavored products like mango and cotton candy are clearly designed to lure curious youth, not hardened smokers. These products still contain nicotine and dozens of toxic chemicals that damage the lungs and cardiovascular system. The first recorded vape-related death in the Philippines and hundreds of lung injury cases (Evali) demonstrate that vaping is still harmful.
While some nations in Southeast Asia have banned vapes or tightened regulations, enforcement in the Philippines remains inconsistent. RA 11900 has been criticized for weakening existing protections. Brands continue to collaborate with celebrities and influencers despite legal prohibitions, health warnings are often absent, and age verification is weak. A 16-year-old can easily order a flavored vape online with no ID check.
Parents, educators, policymakers and young people must recognize vapewashing for what it is: an attempt to lure new customers into a deadly addiction.
Strict enforcement of laws banning celebrity endorsements and youth-targeted advertising is critical. Loopholes in online sales and flavor regulation must be closed. Crucially, the government must sever ties with this deadly industry instead of offering it a platform.
Counter-marketing campaigns must expose vapewashing as the repackaging of addiction. Youth-led movements, such as “TobaccOFF NOW!,” are essential in pushing back against normalization and demanding accountability.
As we observe Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we must listen to our body’s natural instinct to expel smoke or vapor. Addiction is not autonomy; it is a loss of it, masked as choice. Vapewashing is teaching young people to see submission as freedom. We must ensure they see through the smoke and mirrors.