Consumer Group Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) urged the government to immediately issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11467 or the new sin tax law to regulate heated tobacco products. In a statement, LKI President Victorio Dimagiba said that so far, the Food and Drug Administration has not authorized or registered any heated tobacco products (HTPs) since there is no signed IRR. Dimagiba said they are “urging strict government restrictions for HTPS in this pandemic.” “From our research we saw P250 to P300 for the pack of 20s heat stick and around P6,000 to P9,000 for the device, with regards to the substitution for cigarettes. With the IRR , the FDA needs 18 months to implement the law. That is why we are calling for the push of the IRR issuance as soon as possible,” he said.
