Mall vows to address cigarette smoke in toy store

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City mall has assured the public that it is addressing the issue of cigarette smoke that allegedly spewed from an entertainment center into a toy store inside the establishment.

More than 1,300 people signed a petition asking the management of SM Fairview to fix the vent at the Toy Kingdom to prevent the entry of second hand cigarette smoke that allegedly came from the adjacent Bingo City.

In a statement sent to The STAR, SM Regional Operations Manager Dennis Martel said a new aircon system is being installed in Toy Kingdom and would be fully operational by April 7.

Martel added that “Bingo City is due for relocation and has ceased to allow smoking in its premises.”

“SM has always been committed to ensure that customer welfare will take precedence over any business interest,” read the statement.

A concerned citizen filed an online petition in Change.org asking the mall management to fix the vent to prevent the second hand smoke from entering the toy store.

“The stench of second hand smoke can be smelled even as you ascend from the elevator coming from the ground floor of SM Fairview. As you enter Toy Kingdom, you'll find that foul odor of smoke in the air as you go further the Toy Section,” read the petition (http://chn.ge/1pr3e9x) started by Jay Beltran.

“This, I think is an immediate concern that warrants a sincere action from the management of SM Fairview, as this will not only endanger the health of innocent children who look at that place as their dreamland, it also poses serious health hazards to the employees of Toy Kingdom,” it added.

Beltran said he had personally spoken four months ago with the manager of Toy Kingdom, whom he said told him that they have reported the issue to the mall management.

The petitioner cited Republic Act 9211, which prohibits smoking in public spaces, including “centers of youth activity such as playschools, preparatory schools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, youth hostels, and recreational facilities for persons under eighteen years old.”

The toy store was moved to its present location from another section of the mall last year.