President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last night ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest users of e-cigarettes and also asked the Bureau of Customs to ban the importation of e-cigarettes.

Duterte says vaping is dangerous to the health, an assertion similarly made by Health secretary Francisco Duque. Duterte also cited the findings of the US Surgeon General on vapes since vape liquid makers do not entirely disclose the contents of those vapes, especially the amount of chemicals it contains.

Positoned as an alternative to cigarettes, vapes has been a popular smoking device in the Philippines.

The president is willing to sign an Executive Order considering vaping and e-cigarettes as “dangerous” and therefore, under the principle of the state securing public health, Duterte considers it his duty to stop vaping and order users to be jailed for using a product deemed illegal in the country.

These arrests however, are limited to those who will be caught using vapes or e-cigarettes in public places.