The Philippine government is set to remove 15,000 online e-cigarette vendors

According to foreign media reports, the Philippine government is stepping up its efforts to regulate the e-cigarette trade market and will urge online platforms such as Lazada and Shopee to remove 15,000 non-compliant e-cigarette sellers.

“We have monitored almost 15,000 sellers online,” said Ruth Castelo, trade undersecretary.. ”We have advised platforms to remove the nearly 15,000 we observed that were non compliant. These sellers all have cases already.”

In the Philippines, unregistered vape products are subject to the e-cigarette law, which came into effect on December 28, 2022. Earlier this year, the Philippine Internal Revenue Service issued a reminder to all e-cigarette distributors and sellers to fully comply with the government’s business registration requirements and other tax obligations.

Online sellers or distributors who want to sell e-cigarette products through Internet platforms need to register with the Internal Revenue Service and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, or the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Cooperative Development Authority.

Castelo said :” if the online platforms would strictly follow, there is no need to remove the sale of this product from them”. It’s already indicated which products they can’t sell, but some products still evade detection.

Australia to ban recreational vaping in major public health move

Research suggests one in six Australians aged 14-17 years old has vaped, and one in four people aged 18-24. In an effort to stem the trend, the Australian government will heavily regulate e-cigarettes.

The reforms include a ban on all disposable vapes and a crackdown on the import of non-prescription products.

It should be noted that while a total ban on over-the-counter e-cigarettes is being implemented, Australia still supports the legal prescription of e-cigarettes to help smokers quit traditional cigarettes, and has made it easier for these smokers to buy e-cigarettes with a doctor’s prescription for smokers undergoing smoking cessation treatment, without the need for Drug Administration approval.