For nth time, public told: Vaping is deadly

ILOILO Rep. Janette Garin yesterday warned the public against using vape after the Department of Health reported that a 22-year-old male died of a heart attack due to a severe lung injury linked to his use of vape for two years.

“This should serve as an eye opener to the public, especially to the youth. Using vape has its harmful effects and can be deadly,” Garin, a former health secretary, said in a statement. “It is alarming. We have seen reports that children aged 13 years old are already using e-cigarettes and vapes.”

A DOH study revealed the 22-year-old victim had a two-day history of sudden onset of severe chest pains after sports activity associated with dyspnea, diaphoresis, and myalgia.

Before that, he had a one-week history of productive cough, hemoptysis, fever, and vomiting.

The administration lawmaker pointed out that vaping is not an alternative to smoking cigarettes, adding that vaping is not safer since vape users may suffer from a medical condition called e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury or EVALI.

EVALI is a serious medical condition in which a person’s lungs become damaged from substances contained in e-cigarettes and vaping products, Garin said, quoting Yale Medicine.

The DOH reported the first EVALI case in the country in November 2018.

Garin also cited Global Youth Tobacco’s survey which revealed that approximately one out of seven youth, with ages ranging from 13 to 15, are already using vape.

“Our youth is being lured to nicotine addiction, especially with the different flavors of the said electronic device and some of them are unaware of its contents,” she said.

The same survey found that around 11 percent of Filipino students use tobacco, 10 percent smoke cigarettes, and 14 percent use e-cigarettes.

Data from the Philippine Pediatric Society has also shown that 11 percent of students aged 10 to 15 years old have already tried vapes.

HIGHER VAPE TAX

The anti-smoking group the Sin Tax Coalition yesterday called on lawmakers to raise excise taxes on vaping products and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to make them less accessible to the youth.

In a statement, the Sin Tax Coalition said one way to protect the