Philippines: Travelers Urged to Keep Destinations Smoke-free

Source from:  Philippine Star 04/27/2015

Travelers should keep tourist destinations smoke-free while enjoying their summer vacation to help prevent smoke and pollution-related diseases, a group of advocates against smoking said yesterday.

The New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) appealed to the public to "help maintain the summer season healthy and safe, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with disabilities."

NVAP president Emer Rojas said people can still enjoy going to Baguio, Boracay, Batangas and other summer destinations without the risk of getting sick from smoking-related illnesses.

Citing data from Tobacco Atlas, Rojas said tobacco products contain 7,000 harmful chemicals, including 70 carcinogens or cancer-causing ingredients. And close to 90,000 annual deaths are due to cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, which are linked to smoking.

An average of 24 million Filipinos are exposed to tobacco smoke daily and are at risk of acquiring diseases.
Smoking also damages the environment. "The tobacco products are causing major ecological damage that ultimately result to harm to human and animal life," Rojas said.

He noted that around 4.5 trillion butts of the estimated six trillion consumed cigarettes globally are thrown away each year and cigarette butts take five years before they are dissolved.

Cigarette butts have also emerged as a common cause of wildfires, so these are also a threat to life, property and forest lands.
Rojas urged law enforcement agencies to strictly police public areas in common vacation spots against violators of tobacco-control measures.

"The law prohibits smoking in public areas. We call on our law enforcers to strictly enforce smoking bans and help lessen health risks to the public," he said.

Under the law, a first-time offender can be slapped with a fine of P500 to P1,000 or eight hours of community work. A second offense is punishable with a fine of P1,000 to P5,000 or 16 hours of community service.

Rojas also asked local government units (LGUs) to provide text and graphic health warnings at common vacation spots to properly inform the public about the dangers of smoking.

"While we wait for the implementation of the Graphic Health Warning law, it is imperative for LGUs to compensate it by placing health warnings showing the perils of cigarette smoking," he explained. Enditem