Oro takes tips from Davao on implementation of smoking ban

THE Smoke-Free Task Force of Cagayan de Oro benchmarked Davao City's 16-year successful campaign against smoking as the city gears up for its own smoking ban beginning October 1.

Led by Councilor Ma. Lourdes Gaane, task force chairperson, the team had a two-day visit in Davao City in the hope of replicating the successful implementation of a smoking ban.

Gaane said among the key elements of Davao City's smoke-free campaign include political will, organizational support, intensified mass media campaign, inspection, and to never negotiate with tobacco industries.

Gaane and the task force met with Davao City Vice Mayor Bernard Al-Ag for a lecture on the No Smoking Ordinance.

Davao's smoking ban, a brainchild of former Davao mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte has garnered awards, such as the Red Orchid Hall of Fame Awards of the Department of Health and recognized by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance.

Violators of the smoking ban in Davao are fined P1,000 to P5,000 and jailed for up to four months.

In May last year, Duterte brought his anti-smoking campaign nationwide by issuing an executive order.

The City created the Smoke-Free Task Force in July to strictly implement President Rodrigo Duterte's executive order this October 1.

Despite the executive order, the task force still aims to pass a local ordinance to give more teeth to the implementation.

During their Davao visit, Antonio Resma of the Regulatory and Complaint Board (RCB) said they had a lecture with Davao's Vice Regulation Unit, and they went to establishments that are observing the smoking ban.

"We observed how the smoke-free is being implemented in bars which we are really focusing right now, we have so many learnings that we hope we can replicate in Cagayan de Oro," he said.