by Alyosha Robillos
CARE FOR a smoke? Despite the increasing number of laws that support the worldwide anti-tobacco campaign, the nearest cigarette stand is always just a few meters away from the gates of any university.
“Smoking depends on the discipline of a person. If someone has self-discipline then everything else follows. Even if they ask us to go away and stop selling cigarettes, someone will just replace us and the students might even bring their own packs so it defeats the purpose of making us go away and cease our trade,” said Rina Torres, a cigarette vendor in Dapitan.
Her family is often seen taking turns in watching their stand but she says that no one in her family has had a cigarette stick in their entire lives. Despite her rants about students who smoke too much, she stresses on having self-discipline and self-control. She also explains how these students have parents who should be guiding their children in developing good habits the way that she has reared her children to become non-smokers.
“Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing 1 in 10 adults worldwide. It is an epidemic, but a preventable one,” said the WHO last May 31 during the celebration of World No Tobacco Day after the results of the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) were released.
Apparently, tobacco use is a growing problem not only in the country but in the entire world, especially among the youth.
The GATS was one of the main projects of WHO when they initiated their Tobacco Control and Anti-Smoking Campaigns which eventually lead to the Tobacco Control Act of 2003 in the Philippines. To be able to provide comparable data regarding global smoking habits and trends, the WHO together with the Department of Health and the National Statistics Office, executed the survey. Technical support and assistance was also provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite these efforts, the number of daily smokers has increased and is still increasing up to date.
“With 17.3 million adult current smokers, 80% of who are current daily smokers, it is critical that our government places a priority on strong tobacco control legislation and action,” said Dr. Esperanza Cabral, Secretary of Health in the statement of policy implementations of the 2009 GATS results.
The alarming thing about this is that the survey covers “adults” aged 15 and above, which means that the youth nowadays are starting to develop habits that are fatal in the long run as early as 15 years old.
She added that, “we join the international health community in calling for action and effective implementation of the international tobacco control treaty to reduce the deadly health and economic impacts of tobacco.”
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was given a grant amounting to 9.5 million pesos by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, owner of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to help the spread anti-tobacco campaign. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease signed a deal with the MMDA, funding the program which aims to have a smoke-free Metro Manila by 2012.
Local authorities have also done their part in implementing policies that will support this program.
The Department of Education has issued a smoking ban in all public schools before the school year started. This has slowly crept its way to private institutions as well.
Recently, the smoking ban has been issued to all public vehicles seeing that most jeepney and tricycle drivers often smoke while on the job.
The DOH also ordered the use of packaging and labeling as a means of smoking prevention as the youth are more sensitive and respond more to visual aids as compared to written and oral warnings, thus giving birth to more widespread anti-smoking commercials and other forms of advertisements.
Even the Muslim community has taken extreme measures in dealing with the global crisis. The Supreme Council of Darul Ifta has issued a “fatwa” or religious ruling that prohibit Muslims in the Philippines from all kinds of tobacco use and trade. Headed by Grand Sheikh Omar Pasigan, the supreme council’s ruling was held in high regard by the DOH and advocates of a tobacco-free Philippines. If Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia were declared tobacco-free in 2002, then perhaps Manila can achieve the same by 2012.
Universities have also stepped up to the challenge by shooing away street vendors and sidewalk stalls that showcase all sorts of cigarettes near their premises. These stands even sell electric cigarettes which are slowly gaining popularity after giving people the misconception that it is a device that will help smokers eventually quit smoking. Convenient stores near the campuses of universities in Manila have also stopped selling cigarettes.
Although this was implemented, some of the stands have returned to their previous spots, as if nothing happened.
“Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing 1 in 10 adults worldwide. It is an epidemic, but a preventable one,” said the WHO last May 31 during the celebration of World No Tobacco Day after the results of the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) were released.
Apparently, tobacco use is a growing problem not only in the country but in the entire world, especially among the youth.
The GATS was one of the main projects of WHO when they initiated their Tobacco Control and Anti-Smoking Campaigns which eventually lead to the Tobacco Control Act of 2003 in the Philippines. To be able to provide comparable data regarding global smoking habits and trends, the WHO together with the Department of Health and the National Statistics Office, executed the survey. Technical support and assistance was also provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite these efforts, the number of daily smokers has increased and is still increasing up to date.
“With 17.3 million adult current smokers, 80% of who are current daily smokers, it is critical that our government places a priority on strong tobacco control legislation and action,” said Dr. Esperanza Cabral, Secretary of Health in the statement of policy implementations of the 2009 GATS results.
The alarming thing about this is that the survey covers “adults” aged 15 and above, which means that the youth nowadays are starting to develop habits that are fatal in the long run as early as 15 years old.
She added that, “we join the international health community in calling for action and effective implementation of the international tobacco control treaty to reduce the deadly health and economic impacts of tobacco.”
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was given a grant amounting to 9.5 million pesos by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, owner of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to help the spread anti-tobacco campaign. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease signed a deal with the MMDA, funding the program which aims to have a smoke-free Metro Manila by 2012.
Local authorities have also done their part in implementing policies that will support this program.
The Department of Education has issued a smoking ban in all public schools before the school year started. This has slowly crept its way to private institutions as well.
Recently, the smoking ban has been issued to all public vehicles seeing that most jeepney and tricycle drivers often smoke while on the job.
The DOH also ordered the use of packaging and labeling as a means of smoking prevention as the youth are more sensitive and respond more to visual aids as compared to written and oral warnings, thus giving birth to more widespread anti-smoking commercials and other forms of advertisements.
Even the Muslim community has taken extreme measures in dealing with the global crisis. The Supreme Council of Darul Ifta has issued a “fatwa” or religious ruling that prohibit Muslims in the Philippines from all kinds of tobacco use and trade. Headed by Grand Sheikh Omar Pasigan, the supreme council’s ruling was held in high regard by the DOH and advocates of a tobacco-free Philippines. If Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia were declared tobacco-free in 2002, then perhaps Manila can achieve the same by 2012.
Universities have also stepped up to the challenge by shooing away street vendors and sidewalk stalls that showcase all sorts of cigarettes near their premises. These stands even sell electric cigarettes which are slowly gaining popularity after giving people the misconception that it is a device that will help smokers eventually quit smoking. Convenient stores near the campuses of universities in Manila have also stopped selling cigarettes.
Although this was implemented, some of the stands have returned to their previous spots, as if nothing happened.
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