HealthJustice Philippines, a non-profit organization, reiterated its call for smokers to kick the bad habit as they expressed concern for nonsmokers who are exposed to the equally deadly secondhand smoke while staying at home due to the threat of Covid-19 and its variants, particularly Delta.
Due to the people’s restricted movements, HealthJustice feared that staying at home will give people more chances to smoke which will expose family members, especially children, to secondhand smoke.
“According to the World Health Organization [WHO], Department of Health [DOH], health experts and scientists, there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. That is why we should first think of our health and measures to avoid the ill-effects of smoking cigarettes and heated tobacco products and vaping,” said lawyer Benedict G. Nisperos, Legal Consultant of HealthJustice Philippines.
For his part, former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez -Tan, a trustee of HealthJustice Philippines, warned that exposure to secondhand smoke may have devastating effects to the heart.
“During this Covid-19 pandemic, we should make our home smoke-free for tobacco use and secondhand smoke may cause serious health hazards like heart disease,” Dr. Galvez -Tan said.
According to WHO, tobacco use is the second leading cause of cardiovascular diseases [CVD] after high blood pressure, with smoking and secondhand smoke contributing to approximately 12 percent of all heart disease deaths globally.
Meanwhile, the DOH said that ischemic heart diseases or the “hardening of arteries” continue to be the leading cause of death in the Philippines with more than 74,000 cases recorded in 2016.
It may be noted that chemicals in cigarette smoke cause the blood to thicken and increases the risk of blood clots.
Smoke exposure
Dr. Galvez-Tan also said that smokers and vapers are believed to be at high risk for contracting Covid-19, “and so you should not be breathing the air that came from someone else’s lungs” for that person may have contracted the disease.
“Another problem with smoking, vaping and exposure to secondhand hand smoke and aerosols is that they increase risks associated with Covid-19 virus transmission,” said Dr. Galvez -Tan.
Prior to the pandemic, the 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)—Philippines showed that secondhand smoke exposure is highly prevalent in public places, particularly in bars and nightclubs at 86 percent.
Tobacco exposure has been linked to 87,000 annual deaths among Filipinos, more than the number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.
Secondhand smoke exposure was also found to be prevalent in public transportation at 38 percent; followed by restaurants at 22 percent. Other public places also affected by secondhand smoke are in government buildings at 13 percent; schools at 11 percent; and health-care facilities at 4 percent.