MANILA - A House leader filed on Monday a bill that seeks to ban vaping or the use of e-cigarettes in public places.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera filed House Bill 5510 which also sets stringent qualifications for the online sale and advertising of vapor products.

"Ngayon kasi kahit saan, may vaping na. Hindi lang naman sila ang nakakalanghap ng vapors, dahil pati ibang tao sa paligid nila, damay," Herrera said.

(You can now see vaping anywhere and even people who don't use e-cigarettes are affected.)

Under Herrera's proposed measure, vaping is not allowed in the following public places:

- Schools and centers of youth activity
- Elevators and stairwells
- Locations in which fire hazards are present, including gas stations and storage areas for flammable liquids, gas, explosives or combustible materials
- Buildings and premises of hospitals and health centers
- Public facilities such as airports and transportation terminals
- Restaurants

Persons who wish to sell vapor products online meanwhile must meet the requirements of the E-Commerce Act, and the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Online sales of vapor products are also limited to persons 18 years old and above under the bill.

Vaping became popular among Filipinos, particularly the youth as a healthier alternative for those who wanted to quit smoking.

The Department of Health earlier called for an outright ban on vaping as it warned Filipinos that e-cigarettes are not a proven nicotine replacement therapy and can cause lung illness.

Around 1 million Filipinos use e-cigarettes according to the DOH.

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