DTI tells e-commerce platforms to take down illegal vape listings

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday warned e-commerce platforms of possible penalties if they don’t remove listings of illegal vape products from their sites. 

The department said that some vape products being sold online don’t have the necessary permits, health warning signs, and stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 

“Kasi po itong mga produkto na po ito, malinaw po itong lumalabag po sa mga batas kagaya po ng Consumer Act, iyong RA 11900 po o iyong Vape law po, tapos po siyempre po iyong mga DOH regulations and of course po, doon po sa mga regulations din po ng BIR," said DTI E-Commerce Bureau officer-in-charge Eryl Royce Nagtalon in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

"So, iyon po ang pinaka mga dahilan po kung bakit po agaran pong dapat po natin mapatigil po ang online selling po ng mga illegal or unregistered po na vape products po,” he added

(These products violate laws such as the Consumer Act, RA 11900 or the Vape Law, and of course, DOH regulations and also BIR regulations. So, those are the main reasons why we need to immediately stop the online selling of illegal or unregistered vape products.) 

The DTI’s Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products, their Devices, and Novel Tobacco Products have already monitored 92,000 listings of vape products online in the past two years. 

Hence, the Trade Department issued a seven-day compliance period to the e-commerce platforms to take down listing of illegal vape products. 

“So, ongoing po ang ating monitoring niyan, mayroon po tayong spot checking, mayroon po tayong mga teams na ready po diyan. And of course po, if ever man po na sa kasamaang-palad po is hindi po sila maka-comply po, naka-ready naman po ang ating mga legal remedies under the Consumer Act po, the Internet Transactions Act and other trade, industry laws po,” said Nagtalon. 

(So, our monitoring of that is ongoing; we have spot checking, we have teams ready for that. And of course, if unfortunately they are unable to comply, our legal remedies under the Consumer Act, the Internet Transactions Act, and other trade and industry laws are ready.)

“Bale po doon po under po sa Internet Transaction Act po, puwede po silang mapatawan po ng administrative fine po ano. Other remedies din po under the ating pong Internet Transaction Act ay puwede po silang malagay po sa blacklist and of course maisyuhan po ng takedown order po,” he added. 

(Under the Internet Transactions Act, they can be subjected to an administrative fine. Other remedies under our Internet Transactions Act include being blacklisted and, of course, being issued a takedown order.) 

According to the World Health Organization, a 2019 study revealed that 809,677 or 12.5% of Filipino youths were tobacco users, while 913,316 or 14.1% used electronic cigarettes.

In a survey conducted by the Global Burden of Disease in 2021, tobacco smoking was named as the top cause of deaths in the country, with 88,169 deaths recorded in 2021. –NB, GMA Integrated News