Manila: Youth advocates are urging the government to impose significantly higher and uniform excise taxes on all types of e-cigarettes and vaping products to curb accessibility among students and protect public health.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a statement on Thursday, the Youth for Health Coalition expressed full support for the Department of Finance's proposal to raise the excise tax on both salt nicotine and freebase nicotine vapes to PHP72.93 per milliliter (ml).
Under the current tax structure, freebase nicotine is taxed at PHP6.95 per ml, while salt nicotine is levied at PHP60.29 per ml. The youth coalition argued that tax rates must be equalized across all nicotine types, warning that a price disparity could merely drive consumers to switch to cheaper freebase alternatives rather than reducing nicotine intake.
"Mahalagang linawin na ang layunin ng mas mataas na buwis ay hindi para parusahan ang mga taong gumagamit ng vape (It is important to clarify that the purpose of the higher tax is not to punish people who use vapes)," it said. "Ang layunin nito ay pigilan ang mas maraming Pilipino, lalo na ang kabataan, na magsimulang gumamit nito (Its goal is to prevent more Filipinos, especially the youth, from starting to use it)," it added, calling for maximal tax hikes to make vape products unaffordable for students.
The coalition raised alarms over the rapid proliferation of vaping devices in elementary and secondary schools, citing aggressive marketing tactics by sellers. These include packaging vapes with youth-appealing designs, such as milk tea flavors styled like miniature drink containers, stuffed toys, or keychains, and selling them through nearby shops and social media platforms.
The group warned that vaping serves as a gateway to nicotine addiction and traditional cigarette smoking, while posing severe health risks, including E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury and other chronic respiratory diseases. Beyond physical health risks, the youth advocates noted that nicotine addiction negatively impacts students' academic performance, focus, and long-term productivity, potentially limiting their future opportunities.
While continuing to advocate for a total ban on vaping products, the group urged lawmakers to immediately pass higher taxes alongside stricter regulatory enforcement to break the cycle of nicotine dependency among young Filipinos. Youth for Health Coalition is a youth and student-led group dedicated to transforming the Philippine public health system and promoting the health and well-being of all Filipinos.
