Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd. File Photo
By Red Mendoza, Manila Times
IN celebration of World No Tobacco Day, the Department of Health (DoH) has launched a campaign that promotes smoke-free beaches, parks, and tourist destinations across the country, starting in Boracay Island and in Aklan province.
The campaign, which is in collaboration with Viral Strategies and Smoke Free Philippines, aims to showcase tourist destinations as pilot areas for smoke-free beaches.
The Smoke-Free Beaches campaign will begin at Station 2 in Boracay, before moving to other premiere beach destinations and beaches such as in Caramoan and in Palawan.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the initiative was developed to protect beaches, parks and tourist destinations from the environmental ill-effects of tobacco.
"With this, we hope to further raise awareness and create new areas of impact in our overall effort to ensure the health of the Filipino people," Duque added.
He hopes that the campaign will unify the goal of the DoH in providing universal health care, which also includes "giving families an environment that lets them enjoy healthily without exposure to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke."
Around 4.5 trillion cigarettes become waste and 4.2 million cigarette butts end up in beaches and waterways. Moreover, according to global tobacco industry watchdog Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP), plastic and chemical contents in cigarette filters have been shown to destroy marine life and water quality.
In a related story, 321 pairs of shoes and slippers were displayed at the main lobby of the Lung Center of the Philippines to commemorate 321 Filipinos who die every day due to tobacco-related diseases.
The art installation signified the call to have stronger tobacco control legislation in order to save more lives.
Dr. Jessica Catalan-Legarda, chairman for advocacy of the Lung Center of the Philippines, said there should be an ecosystem of policies that would make it easier for Filipinos to quit the "deadly habit of smoking."
"Raising taxes on tobacco products and banning their advertising, promotions, and sponsorships are just some of the policies needed to create a healthier environment for Filipinos," she added.
Dr. Glynna Ong-Cabrera, project director of the DoH Quitline program, said that quitting smoking is not just a matter of personal responsibility, noting that tobacco companies continue to sell and market these products.
She added that tobacco products are designed to make it difficult for smokers to quit, which could put them at risk in developing tobacco-related diseases that could lead to death.
