Saturday, August 16, 2008 1 Pinoy dies of smoking every 6 minutes: group
AN ANTI-smoking group said there is one Filipino that dies of smoking-related diseases every six minutes.
"One Filipino dies of smoking-related ailment every six minutes. That's 240 everyday or a whooping 87,600 every year. That's too much lives lost senselessly due to the hazards of cigarette-smoking," said Dr. Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCAP).
Among the illnesses caused by smoking are lung cancer, heart attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as possible birth defects.
Aside from the high death frequency caused by tobacco products, the group also noted the huge amount being spent by Filipinos on their way to death.
"Public spending on smoking-related diseases reach at least P43 billion annually, which is more than enough to build 200,000 new classrooms every year," Limpin said.
The government, she added, is also shedding out at least P118 million for treatment of the victims of tobacco use.
With this, FCAP urged the government, specifically the lawmakers, to immediately pass the pending bill on picture-based warnings on cigarette packs.
Limpin said the bill has long been pending before the legislative branch and has continued to indirectly cause the lives of thousands of Filipinos.
"Since the bill was filed in Congress in December 2007, 57,360 Filipinos have already died due to smoking-related diseases. At least P21 billion in taxpayers' money have already been spent to treat patients suffering from diseases related to smoking. Should we wait for more people to die before passing the most effective way to prevent smoking?" Limpin asked.
Based on the bill, picture-based warnings will occupy 50 percent of both the front and backsides of cigarette packages and will depict real life debilitating diseases caused by tobacco smoking.
FCAP said studies have shown that picture-based warnings are the most effective way in curbing tobacco use.
The pending bills against cigarette smoking were filed by Samar Representative Paul Daza at the House of Representatives and Senator Juliana Pilar Cayetano at the Senate.
The system is being implemented in other countries like Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Thailand and Singapore, according to the group. (FP/Sunnex)
