National No-Smoking Month

May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. In the Philippines, the month of June is National No-Smoking Month pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 183, s. 1993. The Department of Health is this year’s lead agency in the observance of the no-smoking month that seeks to heighten public awareness on the ill effects of smoking. DOH encourages smokers to quit the habit. The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2015 report claims that more than one fourth of Filipinos smoke. Of the total number of smokers, 11% are minors.

Tobacco smoke can cause death, illness, and disability

Well established in scientific studies is the fact that consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke can cause death, illnesses that affect all organs of the body, and disability. Because of its devastating effects, the health issues on tobacco smoke has now become a social, economic, and environmental problem that burdens not only individuals or victims of smoking, but families, as well.

Smoke-Free environment

Because of the alarming and disturbing problems on smoking, On May 16, 2017, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 26 “Providing for the Establishment of Smoke-Free Environments in Public and Enclosed Places.” The EO declares the following as unlawful and prohibited: smoking within enclosed public places and public conveyances, except in designated smoking areas (DSAs) fully compliant with the requirements prescribed; for any person to sell, distribute, or purchase tobacco products to and from minors; for a minor to smoke, sell, or buy cigarettes or any other tobacco products; ordering or compelling a minor to use, light up, buy, sell, distribute, deliver, advertise, or promote tobacco products; selling or distributing tobacco products in a school, public playground, youth hostels, and recreational facilities for minors, including those frequented by minors or within 100 meters from any point of the perimeter of these places; and placing, posting, displaying, or distributing advertisement and promotional materials of tobacco products within 100 meters from the perimeter of a school, public playground, and/or facilities frequented particularly by minors, hostel and recreational facilities for minors, including those frequented by them.

Deadly tobacco-related diseases that can cause acute and chronic illnesses, disability and death include the following: lung cancer, emphysema, stroke, heart disease, various cancers, and nicotine addiction. These conditions are acquired from direct smoking (by the smoker), second-hand smoke (nicotine and dangerous chemicals from exhaled smoke by the smoker in a room), and third-hand smoke (residual and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke.)