Baguio intensifies anti-smoking law enforcement

BAGUIO City intensifies the enforcement of the anti-smoking ordinance to encourage establishments to adapt being smoke free.

Donnabel Tubera, Medical Officer IV said they have trained barangay officials to implement the ordinance.

“Since we have already Executive Order na pinanghahawakan natin we are not starting from scratch but we are banking on the previous experience. So far how you know if we are complying, we see a lot of violators ibig sabihin we are implementing the ordinance, ine-enforce siya.”

Aiming to safeguard public health and ensure well-being of citizens against effects of tobacco consumption, smoking of vape and cigarettes.

Tubera said establishments should have a designated smoking area outside the building. The area should be an open space without walls and a roof and should strictly be 10 meters away from the entrance and exit points. The area should not be larger than 10 square meters.

The areas are also mandated to be just a smoking area without while food and water nor services.

Tubera said “the impact of tobacco, it is getting money which should have been spent to health, to the food ng isang pamilya at the same time it is killing people. If you look at it, it is the killing property that we do not like that is why 50 percent die because of smoking.”

Studies shows tobacco use is a risk factor for six out of eight leading causes of death where it remains epidemic as of today.

In a Filipino household which earns an average income of 5,100 peso a month; expenses are broken down as follows; 1.6 percent for education, 1.3 percent for health but 2.6 percent for tobacco use.

Tubera said, “it is better to increase the tax. The poor are price sensitive kapag tumaas ang presyo ng sigarilyo hindi sila makabili because kada 10 percent ng increase ng price mag de-decrease ang consumption niyan ng six percent.”