Health experts and advocates have stressed that everyone deserves to live in an environment conducive for their health and well-being.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, they have also underscored the need for a smoke-free environment fearing that those exposed to smoke have an increased possibility of contracting the virus while smokers increase their chances of developing severe cases of Covid-19.
Dr. Beverly Ho, Health Promotion Bureau Director of the Department of Health (DOH), also emphasized during the online conference last week titled ”Building and Celebrating Tobacco Control Champions: Promoting, Defending, and Institutionalizing Smoke-Free Environment Policies,” that smoking “weakens the lungs.”
“Smoking increases an individual’s risk of developing Covid-19. Tobacco use damages the lungs, making the smoker and those exposed more vulnerable to Covid-19,” Ho said.
Ho lauded the efforts of lawmakers and different groups in pushing the measures for a smoke-free environment.
New risks
Lawyer Jacky T. Sarita, Managing Director of HealthJustice, also reiterated the warning of the World Health Organization (WHO) that Covid-19 brings new risks for tobacco users.
“As early as April last year, WHO said that smokers are more likely to develop severe cases of Covid-19, compared to non-smokers,” Atty. Sarita noted.
A WHO scientific brief highlighted the link between smoking and more severe Covid-19 and death. It stated that smokers and vapers may be “vulnerable” to contracting Covid-19 “as the act of smoking involves contact of fingers with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of viruses from hand to mouth.”
The same warning was given by the DOH based on a review of studies by health experts convened by WHO which indicated that smokers are vulnerable to complications brought by the virus.
Pending bills
There are three smoke-free environment bills pending in Congress. In the Senate, Senator Ronald dela Rosa sponsored Senate Bill 1976, while Representative John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto of the 3rd District of Manila backed House Bill (HB) 8754. Representatives Nina Taduran, Eric Yap, and Jocelyn Pua-Teo, all of the ACT-CIS partylist, sponsored HB 8763.
These bills sought to expand the coverage of the smoking ban in Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulations Act of 2003 to include all public places, prohibition in the establishment of indoor smoking areas, and strengthen the power of local government units to enact stricter smoke-free ordinances.
If enacted into law it is expected to help reduce the transmission of Covid-19; lessen the number of people who will die due to tobacco smoke; protect the Filipino people from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke; provide an environment for smokers to quit, and prevent smoking initiation among the youth.
As the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic, Taduran said that now is the best time to make the bill into law.
“In this crucial time, when the deadly Covid-19 is plaguing countries all around the world, smoking amplifies the risk brought about by the virus,” Taduran said.
More support needed
Although she was happy with the increasing number of health champions across all government branches supporting the bill, Rep. Helen Tan, House Committee of Health Chairperson and one of the co-sponsors of HB 8763, is still hoping that more people will join them to “achieve a healthy environment and protect Filipinos from the dangers of second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke.”
“It is the right of health among Filipinos to live in a community and environment that are free from diseases caused by tobacco smoke,” Tan said.
“Apart from this, smoking areas are one of the transmission hotspots of the Covid-19 virus,” she added.
Meanwhile, Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan, co-sponsor of HB 8763 stressed that smoking is also a financial burden for smokers.
“Hindi lamang ang bulsa natin ang unti-unting sinusunog ng bisyo ng paninigarilyo, bagkus, binabayaran din natin ito [Smoking doesn’t only burn a hole in your pocket but also] at the expense of our own health and the health of others,” the Anak-Mindanao partylist lawmaker said.
DepEd joins the call
Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has also joined calls for the immediate passage of the Smoke-free Environment Bill.
Briones expressed her strong support for the bill stressing that she is personally an advocate of a smoke-free environment.
The DepEd chief shared that her father died at an early age of 54 due to a stroke caused by extreme tobacco use.
“My two bothers also followed the same path of early deaths,” she said.
“My faith has taught me not to destroy the body because it is God’s temple especially not to destroy it through vices,” the DepEd chief stressed,” as she recalled that when she was with Social Watch, she was actively campaigning for tobacco-control policies.
“In this conference, we have talked about legislative measures that will effectively curb the tobacco use in this country. But beyond the legalese, the language, and legislative jargon, what we are really talking about are the dreams of our young people that can only be achieved if they grow up healthy and free from the harm of tobacco use,” she said and assured that schools in the country “have always been smoke free.”
She stressed that they do this mainly not only to protect the learners but “to protect them from situations that normalize the tobacco use and make it appealing to them.”
Smoke-free Philippines
Ernesto Ofracio, President of the Aktibong Kilusan Tungo sa Iisang Bayan(AKTIB), an alliance of community and sectoral organizations pushing for the right of Filipinos to health, expressed during the online conference his delight for the support lawmakers have shown to have a 100 percent smoke-free Philippines.
He pleaded to the President Duterte to certify as urgent the proposed measure. “Kami po ay nakiusap sa ating mahal na Pangulo na icertify ang [We are appealing to our beloved President to certify] HB 8763,” Ofracio said.
For her part, Ritz dela Rosa, a student leader from Ramon Magsaysay High School, expressed her alarm over the high number of Filipino youth who are put in danger due to their exposure to second hand smoke.
Data from the 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey indicated that 24.0 million adults were exposed to tobacco smoke at home; 20.2 million were exposed to tobacco smoke in public transportation; 8.1 million were exposed to tobacco smoke in restaurants; and 3.6 million adults were exposed to tobacco smoke in enclosed areas at their workplace.
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