'Exposure to secondary smoke high in Western Pacific'

MANILA, Philippines - The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday expressed concerns over the high incidence of exposure to second-hand smoke in the Western Pacific region, citing its Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

In a statement, WHO director for Western Pacific Shin Young-soo said that “second-hand smoke is a serious health threat,” accounting for more than 600,000 deaths worldwide.

“The evidence is clear that second-hand smoke kills and that there is no safe level of exposure to it,” Shin noted during the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore.

GATS showed that 36.9 percent of Filipinos “who work indoors and outdoors in an enclosed area, were exposed at their workplace during the previous 30 days.”

Another study in 2007 showed that youths were also “highly exposed at home and in public places.” 

In the Philippines, 64.8 percent of them were exposed in public places and 54.5 percent at home.

During the conference, WHO called on governments to “take life-saving action against second-hand smoke, citing research that even brief exposure can cause heart attacks.”

The WHO launched the so-called “blue ribbon campaign” to help millions of non-smokers who advocate smoke-free policies. Participants in the conference had worn blue ribbons to show their support to this sector.

“Governments can accelerate awareness of the harm of second-hand smoke through media campaigns and by recognizing the good work that civil society is already doing,” Shin maintained.