DTI CLAMPS DOWN ON ERRANT VAPE SELLERS

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will further tighten monitoring of sellers of vape products, vowing to go after those that violate selling rules.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual gave the order last Monday to ensure that the restrictions on the sale of vaporized nicotine and nonnicotine products, as provided under Republic Act No. 11900 or the “Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act”, are being implemented.

“We aim to balance the interest of both businesses [ or] manufacturers and also protect our youth from these harmful substances,” Pascual said.

The DTI said that as of June 1, 214 stores out of the 583 physical stores they have monitored were found noncompliant, plus 28,409 online stores out of the 28,584.

To date, the DTI has issued a notice of violation or show cause order to 72 firms, as well as confiscated 13,784 products worth P4.3 million from noncompliant stores.

The government agency said that violations range from not following rules on product packaging to restrictions on product advertisements and sponsorships, as well on the prohibition on the use of these vape products in public places.

The DTI said that as of June 1, 74 formal charges had been lodged with their Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau.

Meanwhile, the country’s two largest e-commerce platforms, Lazada and Shopee, said they had taken their own measures to ensure that partner sellers selling vape products are following the law.