The following is the statement of Dr. Domilyn Villarreiz, Smoke-free Program Manager of SEATCA and the Secretary-General of Smoke-free Cities Asia-Pacific Network (SCAN):
“The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) welcomes Singapore’s move to declare emerging and imitation tobacco products illegal starting 1 February 2018.
This is very timely because emerging and imitation tobacco products such as e-cigarettes are quickly gaining popularity especially among the youth.
According to the report on e-cigarettes released recently by the US FDA, e-cigarettes:
- Are not completely safe and still emit toxic chemicals;
- Deliver nicotine at the same levels as cigarettes hence maintaining nicotine addiction;
- May or may not help smokers to quit smoking;
- And act as a gateway to traditional cigarettes among the youth, which can lead to more youth smoking.
In the ASEAN Region, Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand have already banned the sale of electronic cigarettes. We encourage other countries in the ASEAN to legislate banning the sale and use of emerging tobacco products and strengthen and/or implement 100% smoke-free laws. Large fines for violators just like in Singapore will also compel people to comply with the law.
If we don’t act now, the use of tobacco and these emerging tobacco products will continue to kill more than 500,000 people in the ASEAN region annually.”
31 January 2018
Contact:
Wendell C Balderas, Media and Communications Manager – SEATCA
Email: wendell@seatca.org | Mobile: +63 999 881 2117 ##
Related Links:
- Singapore: Buying, using and possessing imitation tobacco products like e-cigarettes will be illegal from Feb 1 – https://seatca.org/?p=12002
- Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes – http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2018/public-health-consequences-of-e-cigarettes.aspx
About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral non-governmental alliance promoting health and saving lives by assisting ASEAN countries to accelerate and effectively implement the evidence-based tobacco control measures contained in the WHO FCTC. Acknowledged by governments, academic institutions, and civil society for its advancement of tobacco control movements in Southeast Asia, the WHO bestowed on SEATCA the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014.
