Anti-tobacco group says Noy needs professional help to quit smoking

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino may need professional help to be able to quit smoking, an official of the Thailand-based Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) said.

“Smoking is addictive. We cannot expect your President to quit smoking in a day or next month,” said SEATCA director Bungon Ritthiphakdee in an interview during a regional workshop organized by the alliance in Siem Reap, Cambodia last week.

The workshop was intended to discuss the implementation of Article 13 of the World Health Organization-initiated Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship in Southeast Asia.

According to Ritthiphakdee, it may not be easy for a smoker like Aquino to give up cigarettes because they contain nicotine, an addictive substance.

She added that there “are a lot of measures to help a smoker” quit the habit, like the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

NRT pertains to various products that contain small amounts of nicotine developed to help people stop smoking. These include nicotine patches, gum, inhaler and lozenges which can ease some of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms like irritability and craving for cigarettes.

Ritthiphakdee added that having a no-smoking environment and peer influence are important factors that can help the President forgo his cigarettes.

“If he is alerted about the burden of smoking, he would make the right decisions on measures aimed at curbing the habit that kills around 240 Filipinos a day. We have enough evidence and information that cigarettes are harmful to health,” she said.

At present, the Philippines is lagging behind in the fight against smoking in Southeast Asia, although it is among the 172 signatories of the FCTC and despite the passage of Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003.

The SEATCA director likewise said that the Philippines failed to uphold the provisions in the FCTC on the point-of-sale and corporate social responsibility.

Under the FCTC, tobacco advertisements and displays are banned, even in places where cigarettes are sold.

The expert noted that most point-of-sale sites in the Philippines have adopted the “color logo” of cigarettes and this is tantamount to promoting them.

She added that SEATCA has also observed that it has become the practice of most tobacco companies to give donations or sponsorship as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“Company donates and sponsors activities. They don’t mention the brand name, they mention company names because they want to create a good image and connection with policy makers,” she said. 

In Southeast Asia, the countries that are leading in anti-tobacco efforts are Singapore, Brunei and Thailand while Malaysia is “moving towards there.”

Indonesia, on the other hand, is the lone nation that has not signed the FCTC but has come up with various legislation to curb smoking.

Ritthiphakdee said while there is no legal sanction for the Philippines for not upholding the FCTC provisions, it stands to lose face in the international community “because when you sign and you ratify, that means you commit to implement.”