THE WORLD Health Organization (WHO) has advised that the sale of electronic cigarettes be controlled or restricted by the government, citing lack of evidence the battery-operated devices were a “healthier alternative” to tobacco.

WHO country representative Dr. Gundo Weiler said the verdict was still out as to the “exact nature” of e-cigarettes which are designed to look, feel and taste like regular nicotine-laden cigarette sticks.

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“But we don’t expect any positive effect of [these devices] decreasing smoking prevalence,” Weiler said in a press briefing on Monday during the “Smoke-Free Schools” campaign at Rizal High School in Pasig City.

“There’s still a debate going on on the scientific level about the effects of e-cigarettes but there is certainly concern they are not at all the solution to alternative smoking,” he said.

At the same event, Health Secretary Janette Garin said e-cigarettes were being aggressively marketed, circumventing tobacco control policies. She said the government should consider if these gadgets could be covered by the sin tax law.

“E-cigarettes can be given a classification under the sin tax law. The president can certify it as urgent and, once certified, it can be an amendment to the sin tax law, especially so if its effects on health is the same [as cigarettes],” Garin said.

But classifying e-cigarettes as dangerous could only be done if its ill effects were well-documented, she said.

“It is very difficult [to classify] at this point because of the absence of [published] evidence,” she added.

E-cigarettes use a liquid-filled cartridge that contains nicotine and flavors like fruits, mint, cola and vanilla, which are vaporized into a mist that is inhaled into the lungs.

Earlier, the WHO said there was a trend in other countries of people who used the battery-operated stick ending up smoking the real thing, thus the need to regulate its sale.

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