The Manila Declaration: Advancing Harm Reduction in Asia

The Philippine e-cigarette bill, known as Senate Bill 2239 or the "Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Product Regulation Bill," aims to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and consumption of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTP). It is a coordinated version of the lower house bill, House Bill 9007 or the "Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulation Bill.

Three months after the passage of the bill, "world-renowned experts have signed the "Manila Declaration 2022". The declaration was released on October 28th after the 5th Asian Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF 2022) and aims to provide information and evidence for the World Health Organization (WHO) to control safer nicotine products that are not included in any guidance provided to the signatories and representatives of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It also highlights that, despite scientific support for the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, e-cigarette users continue to be marginalized, overlooked, and attacked for their choice.

Personal health rights are considered a fundamental human right. Smoking leads to the vast majority of tobacco-related deaths and illnesses. E-cigarettes are much safer than traditional cigarettes and have helped millions quit smoking. Reducing harm is at the core of international treaty obligations. Bans are only used to protect the cigarette industry. Public health and government reputation are under threat, the statement said.

The document highlights the absurdity of allowing cigarettes to enter the market while prohibiting safer alternatives. It stresses that enabling the free sale of a product that is certain to cause harm in the open market is a criminal act and prohibits or restricts the provision of safer alternatives for adult smokers.

The Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF) held its fifth annual conference on October 28, 2022 in the Philippines, under the theme "Incorporating Harm Reduction into Asian Policy: A Major Victory for Public Health." The conference aimed to build on previous successes and momentum, and as a non-profit, interdisciplinary organization, AHRF seeks to provide information and education on harm reduction, recent scientific research, and public health development. A major focus of the forum was reducing tobacco harm.

Nancy Loucas, the Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), has emphasized that the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has continued to disappoint smokers who want to quit. According to Loucas, providing false information to signatory countries as "guidance" by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its affiliated agencies is dangerous. She believes that the FCTC has already failed and will continue to do so as 8 million adults die every year from unsafe tobacco products.

The Philippine representative of CAPHRA, Clarisse Virgino, has expressed appreciation for Philippine legislators' decision to ultimately include harm reduction in legislation. "The vape law introduced new possibilities for harm reduction alternatives in the country. This is just the first step towards creating a healthier and safer environment for everyone. We hope our legislators will continue to explore different aspects of harm reduction within their mandate to protect the welfare of their citizens," said Virgino.

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