PRO-7 to coordinate with e-cigarette sellers for information drive on vape ban

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The police in Central Visayas will be coordinating with all e-cigarette sellers for the information drive about the banning of the use of vape in public places.

Following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night, November 19, 2019, Police Brigadier General Valeriano de Leon, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), tasked his police officers to account all the vaping stores in the region and ask them to relay the information to their customers about the prohibition of the use of vape in public areas, in order to rightfully inform the about the order of the president.

Read: Duterte bans use, importation of e-cigarettes

De leon also directed his men to arrest those e-cigarette users and confiscate the device when seen in public, effective today, November 20, 2019.

Read: Police in Central Visayas to start apprehending persons using e-cigarettes in public

“I am ordering my men to arrest those who will smoke e-cigarettes and confiscate vapes in public places in Central Visayas region,” reads a portion of De Leon’s message to the reporters on Wednesday morning, November 20. “As what President Duterte said, this is an issue of public health and your police have this obligation to protect the people from the negative effects of the smoke coming from vapers.” 

Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, director of Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) said they will start implementing the given order of De Leon.

However, as there are still no implementing rules and regulations issued, Mariano said they will have to firstly intensify their information drive about the banning of vape use in public places. /bmjo