June is No Smoking Month

CEBU, Philippines - May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, and the World Health Organization selected the theme “The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” this according to a recent post on the Department of Health Web page.

“WHO FCTC is the world’s foremost tobacco control instrument. It is the first public health treaty that took into force only in 2005, but it is already one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations, with at least 172 Parties (countries),” the statement read.

“The Philippines has taken strides in meeting its obligations under the WHO FCTC. With a number of FCTC-compliant tobacco control policies already in place, we have clear opportunities to save Filipinos out of the 240 Filipinos who die everyday from tobacco-related diseases. However, we must remain vigilant in guarding against opposition by the tobacco industry,” it further said.

For example, almost exactly one year ago, or on May 24, 2010, the Health Department issued Administrative Order 2010-0013 requiring graphic health information and prohibiting misleading descriptors such as “light,” “mild,” or “ultra” on cigarette packs.

The DOH issued this Order within its mandate under the Consumer Act, the Administrative Code, and Article 11 of the WHO FCTC and its Implementing Guidelines. The Administrative Order recognized the WHO’s finding that “larger picture warnings are far more effective when it comes to communicating health effects to children and young people, as well as people who do not know how to read or write.”

Tobacco companies have, however, filed five lawsuits against the DOH instead of complying with the Order and have secured preliminary injunction orders in two cases, this was further learned.

These two injunction orders, however, are effective only within the territories of the issuing courts and only in favor of the parties who obtained the orders.

The DOH, along with the WHO and public health advocates, are urging local government units to implement the AO in their areas, in accordance with a recommendation issued by the DOH and the WHO in a Joint Country Capacity Assessment Report that was released to the public early of May 2011.

“But aside from clear opportunities to meet WHO FCTC obligations, there are also successes in the country’s efforts,” the post added.

One is the adoption and promulgation of the DOH-Civil Service Commission Joint Memorandum Circular to protect the bureaucracy against Tobacco Industry Interference (WHO FCTC Article 5.3). This means government personnel are prohibited from interacting with the tobacco industry unless strictly necessary for its regulation, supervision or control. Necessary interactions must be carried out in a transparent manner. And the government agency is required to report any interaction or offer of donation from the tobacco industry and is prohibited from receiving any form of contribution.

Next is the promotion of 100-percent Smoke-Free Environments (WHO FCTC Article 8). More and more local government units are implementing their own ordinances to ban smoking in public places – indoor establishments, public utilities, transportation terminals, etcetera. These best practices are being recognized by the DOH through the annual Red Orchid Awards or the search for 100-percent tobacco-free government offices, hospitals and local government units. The DOH Red Orchid Awards was held on May 31. Out of the 98 nominees this year, 34 received the Award. Aside from the trophies and certificates that the winners received, the DOH also gave each of them P100,000 worth of Nicotine Replacement Therapy drugs that they can use in their programs or activities for Smoking Cessation (WHO FCTC Article 14). 

Likewise, the DOH, through the National Center for Health Promotion, is “actively involved in the ASEAN Focal Points on Tobacco Control which was organized to ensure that effective tobacco control measures and sustained responses are in place and in line with the ASEAN Social-Cultural Blueprint (2009-2015) as well as to formulate a mutually beneficial regional strategic plan to address important Tobacco Control measures.”

The Philippines is the lead country that will implement activities on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (WHO FCTC Article 13) leading to the drafting of the unified ASEAN policy.

The DOH, together with its tobacco control partners, is currently lobbying in Congress to pass laws that would increase Tobacco Excise Tax Rates. The DOH will support the house bill that will have the following provisions: 1) Increase in excise tax rate for all cigarette products, which is regularly increased to cover inflation and reduce the multi-tiered to a single tiered tax classification; 2) Alternative livelihood which promotes the welfare of farmers and workers; 3) Earmarking for health in which a portion of the tax would be used to establish a Health Promotion Foundation that will educate people, especially the youth, about the effects and hazards of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke as well as a portion of the tax to be used to enroll indigent households to PhilHealth (WHO FCTC Article 6).

To extend World No Tobacco Day activities towards the No Smoking Month this June as well as to protect the youth from being initiated to smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke, the DOH is one with the DTI, DILG, PNP, CHED and DepEd that will implement the BalikEskwela Campaign to push for the enforcement of 100-percent smoke-free schools.

The campaign will focus on three important messages: 1) Absolute smoking ban inside and outside school premises; 2) Prohibition of sale of cigarette and other tobacco products within 100 meters from any point of the perimeter of a school, playground, or other facility frequented by minors; and 3) Advocacy to parents and family members on not instructing children to buy or light tobacco products for them.

The DTI takes the lead in the BalikEskwela campaign on tobacco control, especially in ensuring that the prohibition of the sale of cigarettes to minors and in stores and by ambulant vendors around schools is enforced. The DTI wanted to emphasize the penalties for violation ranging from a fine of not less than P500 to not more than P400,000 and imprisonment ranging from 30 days to three years depending on the seriousness of the violation. Moreover, business permits and licenses may also be revoked or cancelled. The PNP, for its part, is enjoined to apprehend violators, which is mandated in RA 9211.

Finally, the DOH would like to congratulate the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines for winning the World No Tobacco Day Awards of the World Health Organization. Since 1988, the WHO has been giving away one or more Awards to organizations or individuals from its six different Regions who have made exceptional contributions in research, capacity building, promotion of policy or legislation, and advocacy to advance tobacco control. The Award was presented to FCAP by the WHO during the DOH Red Orchid Awards 2011 ceremonies. Note that the DOH was the one that nominated FCAP to the said WHO Awards.

World No Tobacco Day 2011 is designed to highlight the treaty’s overall importance, to stress the Parties’ obligations under the treaty and to promote the essential role of the Conference of the Parties and WHO in supporting countries’ efforts to meet those obligations. The Conference of the Parties is the treaty’s central organ and governing body.

Among these obligations are to:

• Protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.

• Adopt price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco.

• Protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke.

• Regulate the contents of tobacco products.

• Regulate tobacco product disclosures.

• Regulate the packaging and labeling of tobacco products.

• Warn people about the dangers of tobacco.

• Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

• Offer people help to end their addictions to tobacco.

• Control the illicit trade in tobacco products.

• Ban sales to and by minors.

Source: Department of Health