Lawmaker urges review of vape excise tax amid rising use among youth

Lifestyle | On The Radar Posted on 2026-03-11 01:50:46

MANILA – Miro Quimbo, representative of Marikina City’s 2nd District and chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, on Monday urged a review of the excise tax imposed on vape products following the growing use of vaping among young people.

During a committee hearing at the House of Representatives of the Philippines on the possible health and financial impact of increasing vape use, Quimbo pointed out how common vaping has become in public places.

“Lumabas ka nga lang sa bahay, sa mall, sa parking lot, o sa labas ng mga schools diyan, makikita mo ang paglaganap ng vaping, lalo na sa mga kabataan (You can see the prevalence of vaping once you get out of the house, in malls, parking lots, or outside schools). Vaping has evolved into a lifestyle product—flavored, colorful, easily accessible, and aggressively targeted at younger consumers,” Quimbo said.

Citing national data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Quimbo highlighted the sharp increase in nicotine product use among youth aged 10 to 19.

The data showed that usage rose from 0.8 percent in 2015 to 3.2 percent in 2019, before surging to 39.9 percent in 2023.

“In just four years, vaping among youth nicotine users increased more than tenfold, reflecting both an influx of new nicotine users and a shift from cigarette smoking to vape use,” he said.

Quimbo explained that excise taxes on so-called “sin products” are based on two main goals: to discourage consumption and to generate funds for health-related programs.

The committee hearing also served as a chance to review data on vape consumption patterns, tax collections, elasticity estimates, and projected healthcare expenses.

At present, vape products are taxed under a two-tier system that distinguishes between salt nicotine and conventional freebase nicotine.

Salt nicotine products are taxed at PHP60.00 per milliliter (ml), while freebase nicotine is taxed at PHP6.95 per ml.

The committee is now proposing a single or unitary tax rate, which would remove the distinction between the two nicotine types.

This proposal received support during the meeting from the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Department of Finance. Officials said the current two-tier tax system can lead to misdeclaration of products, making tax collection and enforcement more difficult.

Several proposed bills recommend setting a unified tax rate of up to PHP66.15 per ml to align the tax on vape products with the rates applied to traditional cigarettes.

Quimbo warned that the growing popularity of vaping could lead to serious health problems.

“The rising use of vape poses serious health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, which could further burden the country’s healthcare system,” he said.

He also emphasized the need for government policies to match national health priorities and address changing consumption trends.

“If vaping continues to surge and its health impacts start to emerge, can the government shoulder the cost of the necessary medical and rehabilitative interventions? If not, it is our duty to rethink the current excise tax rates,” Quimbo said.

“We cannot allow a generation to become heavily nicotine-dependent, only to realize later that we underpriced the health risks and underfunded the consequences,” he added.

NPO News Team | PNA Philippine News Agency - PR

Share:

Writer :

Link :