Lazada Urged to Remove Unregistered E-Cigarettes in Philippines

The Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association (PECIA) and the Philippine Nicotine Consumers Union (NCUP) are urging Lazada to follow in the footsteps of Shopee and remove unregistered e-cigarette products in compliance with the country's Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act (RA 11900), which will take effect on July 25, 2022.

The bill covers electronic cigarette products, e-cigarette juices, e-cigarette devices, heated tobacco products, HTP consumables and devices, and new tobacco products. With the IRR set to take effect on December 28, 2022, all prohibited items under RA 11900 will no longer be sold in online and offline retail markets.

Joey Dulay, the president of PECIA, has stated that Lazada, being one of the most popular online markets, should ensure consumer welfare and protect them from unregistered and substandard products that may cause harm.

The Ministry of Industry has stated unequivocally that Lazada is responsible for complying with e-cigarette-related legislation. Shopee is a platform similar in size to Lazada, and has taken down more than one million unregistered e-cigarette listings from its website. Lazada should also take this issue seriously.

In January of this year, NCUP wrote separate letters to Shopee and Lazada, commending Shopee for taking swift and decisive action against illegal electronic cigarette products, and strongly encouraging Lazada to follow the example set by its competitor.

These platforms have a huge influence on consumers. If they see it on websites, they will think it is safe. Lazada plays a crucial role in preventing the consumption of illegal products. There are now appropriate laws to regulate electronic cigarettes, but if the platform itself does not comply, the law cannot be enforced," said NCUP President Anton Israel in the letter.

On March 1st, representatives from electronic commerce platforms met with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Consumer Protection Group (CPG) to address the issue of banned nicotine and non-nicotine vaping products being advertised and sold online despite ongoing monitoring and law enforcement efforts.

On March 1, 2022, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines held a meeting with representatives from e-commerce platforms through the Consumer Protection Group (CPG) to address the issue of prohibiting the sale of illegal e-cigarettes online.

One day after the dialogue, Shopee reported that it had removed over one million illegal listings of electronic cigarettes from its platform. It also pledged to strengthen its monitoring of illegal electronic cigarette products and commit to continued cooperation with the trade organization.

Under RA 11900, only electronic cigarette products, devices, and new tobacco products that are registered and certified by the Philippines' Bureau of Standards (BPS) and accompanied by appropriate health warnings can be sold to the public by June 2024.

PECIA is the largest trade organization for electronic cigarettes in the Philippines, with over 200 member shop owners, suppliers, and manufacturers, as well as more than 8,000 E-cigarette alliances, representing over one million smokeless product consumers in the Philippines.

NCUP is a non-profit national advocacy organization that believes the rights and interests of millions of smokers and electronic cigarette users in the Philippines need to be protected from the influence of untested, unregulated, and unregistered products.

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Lazada has been requested to take down illegal vaping products from its online marketplace.