The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution urging the Department of Health (DOH) to incorporate tobacco harm reduction measures, including the use of e-vapour products, as part of its tobacco control strategy, the Manila Standard reported.

The resolution cited an observation made by the World Health Organisation on the progress made in the United Kingdom in reducing smoking prevalence through strict tobacco control measures and promotion of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. The resolution also quoted proponents of tobacco harm reduction through the use of alternatives to combustible tobacco, such as Public Health England National Director Professor Kevin Fenton, researcher Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, and the Harvard School of Public Health, the newspaper said.
“By unanimously adopting the resolution, the House of Representatives is sending a strong message to the DOH to abandon its misguided belief that ‘quit or die’ are smokers’ only choices and instead follow the lead of the United Kingdom and other countries that have adopted harm reduction as part of their tobacco control strategies,” Joey Dulay, president of the Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association was quoted as saying.