Philippines: Jam Sebastian''s Case an ''eye-opener'' on Danger of Passive Smoking

Source from:  Cebu City Sun Star 03/02/2015

THE case of YouTube sensation Jam Sebastian should serve as an eye-opener for the need to implement stricter tobacco control measures and address secondhand smoke, an advocacy group said.

Sebastian, the other half of the Jamich online sensation, is suffering from Stage 4 lung cancer despite being a non-smoker.

"In one of his interviews on television Mr. Sebastian said he did not smoke and suspected that he developed cancer due to exposure from friends who had the vice. Mr. Sebastian's experience is not an isolated one as millions of Filipinos, including children are also inhaling harmful smoke from tobacco," New Vois Association of the Philippines president Emer Rojas said in a statement.

Passive smoking is as fatal as active smoking, he said, because both are exposed to the same ill-effects that tobacco smoke brings.

Data from the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) shows that some 3,000 Filipinos die of lung cancer each year because of secondhand smoke.

Rojas partly blamed the lax implementation of Republic Act 9211 or the Tobaco Regulation Act for the deaths.

He said several areas in Metro Manila that are supposed to be smoke-free places, such as comedy bars, airports and bus terminals, are often found with a large number of smokers.

"It's unfair that other people suffer just because smokers prefer to puff without a care who gets exposed. This should not happen if only the law is implemented and violators punished," said Rojas.

Section 5 of RA 9211 provides that "smoking shall be absolutely prohibited in public places" like airport and ship terminals, train and bus stations, restaurants, and conference halls.

Because of this, Rojas called on the Aquino administration and local government units to be stricter in implementing the smoking ban in public places "so we can save more lives." Enditem