A CEBU City legislator is reminding establishments within 100 meters from a school about the national law that bans the selling of cigarettes in that zone.

He said the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) must “effectively and efficiently” implement Republic Act 9211 in the issuance of business permits, to promote public health.

“We are urging the City Treasurer’s Office not to renew the business permits of establishments that violate that law,” City Councilor Edgardo Labella told Sun.Star Cebu.

He emphasized the need to strictly implement the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, which prohibits the sale of cigarettes near schools, to prevent the young from developing the habit.

“It has often been said that many smokers from all walks of life have acquired their addiction to nicotine when they were still young,” he said.

Early

“Many studies have shown that the younger they were when they tried a cigarette, the more likely they were to become regular users and the less likely they were to kick the addiction,” he added.

He blamed the tobacco companies, which he said ensnare the young through the “use of predatory marketing strategies.”

“Tobacco advertising and promotion are allegedly some of the crucial push factors which, wittingly or unwittingly, prodded (users) to start puffing on cigarettes in their early teens,” the councilor said.

He will ask City Council colleagues next week to support his call, arguing that they are empowered to do so under the general welfare clause of the Local Government Code of 1991.

January is when establishment owners renew their business permits.

“Remind the (CTO) of the imperative need to effectively and efficiently implement Republic Act 9211 in the issuance of and renewal of business permits so that the promotion of public health…will include the sustainable campaign to lessen, if not totally eliminate, the health threat posed by smoking,” he said.

The city council will tackle his request in its session on Wednesday. (RHM)

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(January 11, 2009 issue)
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