MAYROON nang de facto ban sa pagpasok ng electronic nicotine delivery system products gaya ng vape.
Ayon kay House committee on ways and means chairman at Albay Rep. Joey Salceda hindi nakapasok ang mga ENDS products dahil hindi ito binigyan ng permit ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno.
“1,457 [importations] have been prevented to enter the country due to lack of permit from Food and Drugs Administration, National Tobacco Administration and Department of Trade and Industry for product standard,” ani Salceda.
Nagpahayag naman ng pangamba si Salceda na magresulta sa talamak na smuggling ng vape at mga katulad nitong produkto ang ban.
“Based on preliminary findings almost 87 percent injuries in US are from illicit vapes, because if you have prohibition you will only push them underground. This is what we want to avoid the illicit vapes,” ani Salceda. “Regulation, taxation and enforcement are the most important. That’s why we are pushing for higher taxes for vapes products.”
Naniniwala si Salceda na makabubuti kung tataasan na lamang ang buwis na ipinapataw dito.
“We might will go for a higher rate than P25/ml to P45/ml. The 1 million vape users are almost totally upper middle to high income class versus the 23 million smokers with 7 million in the lowest 50 percent. The entry cost to vaping is relatively high at P1,600,” dagdag pa ni Salceda.
Noong Agosto ay inaprubahan ng Kamara de Representantes ang mas mataas na buwis sa alak, heated tobacco at vapor products.