MANILA, Philippines – More Southeast Asian nations are looking at adopting tobacco harm reduction as state policy and legalizing smoke-free products following the lead of the Philippines, which may soon have a law that regulates less harmful alternatives to cigarettes like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
A draft legislation to legalize e-cigarettes is now at a sub-committee of Thailand’s Parliament, and several top officials of Thailand, including Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, expressed support for the legalization.
Clarisse Virgino, the Philippine representative to the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), said more Southeast Asian countries are expected to follow the Philippines and Thailand in “welcoming tobacco harm…
