A civic group is calling for a government crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade following a string of harrowing emergencies, including reported deaths and seizures linked to the illegal cigarette “tuklaw.”
Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and the Environment Inc. (Pinoy Aksyon) Chairperson BenCyrus Ellorin said Monday that the group's demand has grown urgent amid escalating incidents tied to the dangerous product.
“The horrifying case of ‘tuklaw’ is a direct consequence of a thriving illicit cigarette market,” Ellorin said, adding that these smuggled products bypass all health and safety regulations, “poisoning consumers for profit.”
He added: “We call on all concerned agencies to strictly implement our laws to stop these dangerous products from ever reaching our streets.”
The group’s demand comes after a wave of public health emergencies.
Earlier this month, two brothers in Manila were hospitalized with severe seizure-like symptoms after allegedly smoking the substance.
The threat first gained widespread attention in August when a viral video showed a man in Taguig convulsing violently on a sidewalk after reportedly using "tuklaw."
This was followed by another report, also in Taguig, of a minor who began shouting and exhibiting agitated, uncontrollable behavior.
Three teenagers in Palawan were also hospitalized under similar circumstances.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has confirmed that “tuklaw” is not merely tobacco but a laced product. It uses a base of smuggled Vietnamese tobacco called thucc lao—which already contains a dangerously high nicotine content of up to nine percent — and is then infused with potent synthetic cannabinoids.
PDEA Spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut warned that the effects of "tuklaw" are dangerously unpredictable and more intense than those of marijuana.
"It is how your body would digest the chemical that you've introduced into your system," Calulut said.
PDEA General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez previously issued an advisory, warning that "these deadly cigarettes laced with synthetic cannabinoid are obviously smuggled goods and reportedly sold online.
PDEA warns the public not to patronize 'tuklaw' because of the serious health risks involved.
Compounding the problem, the PDEA disclosed during a Senate budget hearing in September that these dangerous components are now also being seen in vape products.
“This is an alarming escalation. It proves the illicit market will always find new ways to target consumers, especially the youth,” Ellorin said.
“It's about unregulated poisons in any form. We cannot afford to wait for another child to be hospitalized before we act decisively to shut these operators down.”
