WHO Representative in the Philippines Admits Vaping Is Safer Than Cigarettes
Although the WHO has publicly opposed vaping products, a WHO representative in the Philippines reportedly acknowledged that vaping is safer than combustible cigarettes.
The WHO publicly opposes the use of e-cigarette products. In fact, two leaked papers from the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) last September indicated that the organization is working to regulate vapor products in the same way as combustible counterparts.
At the same time, Dr. Ranti Fayokun, a WHO representative and national non-communicable disease control tobacco control scientist, acknowledged the relative safety of these products during a hearing on e-cigarette regulations held in the Philippine House of Representatives.
On the other hand, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a ban on the use and import of e-cigarettes, stating that anyone caught using the product would be arrested. Duterte, who was once a heavy smoker and suffered health consequences from his habit, understandably takes a harsh stance on cigarettes.
Unfortunately, he holds the same stance on e-cigarette products, unaware that these devices are excellent tools for quitting smoking and reducing harm. "They say it's electronic. Don't give me that s***. You better stop, and if you catch me in the room, I will order your arrest. You are polluting people," he said.
The ban is ineffective, and wise regulations do not work.
Meanwhile, during the aforementioned congressional hearing, addiction therapist and lawyer Dr. Andrew da Roza pointed out that the ban would be counterproductive. "They (WHO) say that if you are a country that cannot formulate and enforce regulations, you must ban. To me, this is a contradiction. A country cannot regulate perfectly, but what it ends up doing is banning, because the black market will surge. This is an extremely important issue for children. If we ban things and do not regulate them, we create a black market that does not care about children, does not care about the elderly, and does not care about us at all."
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