MANILA: About 70 percent of smokers in the Philippines see e-cigarettes as a “positive alternative” to tobacco products, according to a first-of-its-kind survey of adult smokers by the regional consumer advocacy group factasia.org.
The same number—70 percent—would consider switching to e-cigarettes “if they were legal, met quality and safety standards, and were conveniently available”, reported The Standard.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos to gauge consumers’ views on safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes, such as e-cigarettes that contain nicotine—products that do not burn tobacco and therefore do not produce the potentially dangerous particulates, tar and smoke found with cigarettes, the report said.
E-cigarettes are described as more than 95 percent safer than smoking.
Eminent international public health and tobacco control experts reportedly encourage use of e-cigarettes as a far less harmful alternative for smokers who either find it difficult to quit or who enjoy their nicotine.
Few smokers in the Philippines have tried them—just 15 percent of the survey of three major population centers. But they are almost unanimous in believing they should have a right to access information about less harmful products (86 percent agree), said the news portal.
However, more than three-quarters agree that: “Through tax and regulatory policies, the government should encourage adult smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes and ensure they are not used by youth.”
Smokers surveyed also said it would be wrong for the authorities to “prevent or delay the introduction of less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.”
Factasia carried out the survey “in order to gain a better understanding of Asian consumers’ demand for less harmful alternatives to tobacco,” said Heneage Mitchell, co-founder of factasia.org.
E-cigarettes are described as “more than 95 percent safer than smoking” and “no more harmful than coffee” by top global public health experts. In the UK, for example, they are “encouraged” by Public Health England, which recently reported e-cigarettes have become the most popular aid to quitting at the same time as successful attempts to quit have reached an all-time high, reported The Standard.
