The Senate Committee on Health and Demography on Wednesday raised concern over the use of digital channels to promote cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and vapor products, warning that such tactics may be bypassing existing advertising restrictions and contributing to rising use among Filipino youth.
During the Senate Committee on Health and Demography hearing, chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, lawmakers and regulators discussed whether current rules on tobacco and vape marketing remain sufficient amid evolving promotional strategies.
Hontiveros said existing safeguards appear to be getting circumvented through modern communication channels.
“Mukha pong naba-bypass yung current restrictions sa advertising,” Hontiveros said, raising the possibility of expanding the legal definition of advertising and considering a total ban on vape-related promotions.
She asked whether regulators support tightening the framework to include broader restrictions on advertising, promotions, and sponsorships for vaping products.
Engr. Ana Trinidad Rivera of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said international benchmarks show that stricter bans are effective in reducing access to such products, particularly among minors.
“On the part of the FDA, as we benchmark our regulations with other countries, we see that the ban on advertising, promotions and sponsorships are effective in really curtailing access,” Rivera said.
She noted concerns over what she described as “quadri media” promotion—spanning traditional media, online platforms, and increasingly, text messaging systems.
Rivera warned that teenagers are still able to access product-related content despite restrictions, adding that even telecom-based messaging has been used for marketing.
She also emphasized that tobacco and vape products are not essential to health and should not be promoted.
“These tobacco advertisements, promotions and sponsorships should be banned, considering the mechanism that is now being advanced through different online platforms and even in text messaging,” she said.
Rivera added that some users reportedly receive messages reminding them of previous consumption and encouraging repurchase, a practice regulators view as targeted marketing.
The FDA official also pointed to existing clinical guidelines for smoking cessation, saying these should be prioritized over commercial promotion of nicotine products.
The hearing comes amid growing concern among health advocates over increasing youth exposure to vaping and nicotine products through digital marketing and unsolicited messages.
