The Department of Health has announced a ban on using vapes and e-cigarettes in public places, in line with existing rules on tobacco smoking.
President Duterte has previously signed an executive order banning smoking in public places nationwide — but this order only covered traditional cigarettes.
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Under Administrative Order (AO) 2019-0007, announced by DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo today (Wednesday, July 3), the smoking ban will now be expanded to include vapes and e-cigarettes.
The order was signed by health Secretary Francisco Duque on June 14.
The following acts related to vaping and e-cigarettes will be prohibited:
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- Smoking within enclosed public places and public conveyances, whether stationary or in motion, except in designated smoking areas
- Allowing, abetting, or tolerating smoking in prohibited areas
- Smoking, selling, or buying tobacco products by minors
- Selling, distributing, or purchasing tobacco products while using the defense that one did not know the real age of a minor or did not know nor had any reason to believe that the product would be consumed by a minor
- Ordering, instructing, or compelling a minor to use, light up, buy, sell, distribute, deliver, advertise, or promote tobacco products
- Selling or distributing tobacco products in a school, public playground, youth hostels, and recreational facilities for minors, including those frequented by minors, or within 100 meters from any point of the perimeter of these places
- Placing, posting, displaying, or distributing advertisement and promotional materials of tobacco products, such as leaflets, posters, display structures, and other materials within 10 meters from the perimeter of a school, public playground, and other facilities frequented particularly by minors
- Placing any form of tobacco advertisement outside the premises of point-of-sale retail establishments
- Placing any stall, booth, and other displays concerning tobacco promotions to areas outside the premises of point-of-sale locations or adult-only facilities
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