In today’s global village, the health of people is more and more at risk. Aside from sounding the alarm on climate change and environment risks, the World Health Organization (WHO) last week called on a worldwide ban on smoking at work and in enclosed public places. “Tobacco addiction is a global epidemic that is ravaging countries,” WHO said. Some five million people around the world die yearly from tobacco-related diseases. (In the Philippines, two people die every hour from smoking and smoke exposure). By 2030, if current trends continue, smoking will kill one in six people.
The statistics compiled by World Health Organization (WHO) on worldwide smoking is stunning. Worldwide, between 80,000 and 100,000 kids start smoking every day, roughly half of whom live in Asia. Evidence shows that around 50 percent of those who start smoking in adolescent years ago on to smoke for 15 to 20 years. About 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily — or 10 million every minute. Peer-reviewed studies show teenagers are heavily influenced by tobacco advertising. Through advertising, tobacco firms try to link smoking with athletic prowess, sexual attractiveness, success, adult sophistication, adventure and self-fulfillment. No wonder smoking continues despite the many warnings on its health hazards.
The United Nations agency said the ban would help limit non-smokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke, which can kill through heart disease and serious respiratory and cardiovascular illness. Some 200,000 workers die each year due to exposure to tobacco smoke at work, while around 700 million children, around half the world’s total, breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly in the home. The ban is being practiced in a number of European Union countries including France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal. Many countries have already banned smoking in public places.
In the Philippines, we commend those city mayors who already practice this, but we hope they would implement this ban fully, without exception, having in mind the greater common good. The Department of Health is also gathering pledges from local hotels and restaurants to make their places smoke-free. Most of all, we congratulate City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for making Davao City as the only city in the Philippines strictly implementing the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 or R.A. 9211 under the Anti-Smoking Task Force headed by Dr. Domilyn Villareiz. Hence, the WHO cited Davao as a model city for its anti-smoking campaign. The local police reports 5,265 violators already arrested from the start of the campaign in 2002 until 2006. Dr. Villareiz also announced that starting this July, all cigarette and smoking ads and billboards will be removed. They will also no longer allow promotional materials in printed ads in newspapers and magazines starting 2008. She also strictly prohibits selling of cigarettes as well as any kind of advertisements within 100 meters of school zones and recreational establishments. Other cities can start following Davao’s example.
Cigarette production, usage and smoke emission harms the environment we all live in. We have a duty to protect the earthly abode given to us by God. Let us all do our share.
