1 June 2018:

World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to the Philippines Dr. Gundo Weiler said there is still no sufficient data that electronic cigarettes have become an effective tool for the reduction of smoking.

“The rise of e-cigarettes and other devices very carefully is still fairly young… there is not really sufficient research out there and data that would make us come to find conclusions,” said Weiler.

“It is not an easy picture. It is not clear that it’s good… or really have this large positive effect on reducing smoking rates,” he added.

Weiler said that they still have to see the long-term consequences of e-cigarettes, saying that the product itself is harmful to health.

“It is already clear, they are harmful and to an extent, we need to observe them very carefully. In short, e-cigarettes are not the solution to the tobacco epidemic from our perspective,” said Weiler.

Meanwhile, an official of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that manufacturers of e-cigarettes have not yet applied for Certificate of Product Registration (CPR), despite it being sold in the market.

“Unfortunately, walang nag-apply pa [nobody has yet to apply] for the CPR because of the requirements for the clinical trials, because it is considered as part of the smoking cessation,” said Ms. Ana Trinidad Rivera, FDA director for cosmetics regulation and research.

“Wala pa yung evidence [There is still no evidence] that it can be used for smoking cessation. We are waiting, we are encouraging them to do their own clinical studies if they have and then submit it to FDA,” said Rivera.

Source: Manila Bulletin