‘LGUs not enforcing smoking ban’

MANILA, Philippines — It’s been a year since President Duterte signed an executive order banning smoking in public places, but some local government units (LGUs) have yet to implement the EO, a  health group reported yesterday.

Rommel Arriola, project manager of Action on Smoking and Health, said that although smoking in public places has decreased significantly since the signing of the EO, there are still LGUs that do not restrict or penalize smokers.

Arriola said that as soon as the EO was signed last year, anti-smoking signs were installed in malls and other major establishments. Smoking along sidewalks also decreased.

“There are some local government units who claimed they are implementing the smoking ban. But when we checked the areas under their jurisdictions, we saw that smoking in public places was rampant,” Arriola said.

He said smokers as well as LGUs that fail to implement the EO should be punished for violating the law. 

“We need to make an example by penalizing violators. Not just the smokers but  commercial establishments and LGUs that are not implementing the EO should be sanctioned,” he said.

Arriola said local officials, especially in the barangay level, should lead the implementation of the smoke-free policy.

He expressed hope that more people would report violators or pressure the local leaders to implement the ban.

“Public pressure can help and so is discussing the issue, especially on social media to call the attention of the local executives,” he said.