900 smokers violate law

MORE than 900 violators of the Anti-Smoking Ordinance were cited by the anti-smoking task force from January to July this year.

In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code, Dra. Donnabel Tubera, Baguio City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head, said this figure is expected to rise once the implementation of the Smoke Free Baguio ordinance will be exercised in the 128 barangays of the city.

“We have already apprehended 976 violators but the peak was during the Holy Week, in January we had 27 apprehension, during the Panagbenga in February we had 199, 359 in March, 172 in April, 98 in May, 83 in June, and from July 1st to the 15th we had 38 apprehensions with the peak of apprehension done at the central business district,” she reported.

The ordinance prohibits the use, sale, distribution, and advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products in certain places and imposing penalties for violations.

“The 976 that I mentioned are for those who paid the City Treasurer’s Office amounting to P1.1 million but the total number of apprehension since January is actually 1,723. Some 547 of those have still not settled their dues as fines,” Tubera said.

She reported health records for Baguio City, where stroke is listed as the top health concern in the city followed by cancer believed to be due to smoking followed by heart disease.

“Once we have trained and come up with the processes on the enforcement of the Smoke Free Baguio Ordinance at the barangay level, we will see an increase in trend in the number of apprehensions in the coming months,” Tubera added.

Violators of the ordinance would have P1,000; P2,000 and P3,000 penalties, or imprisonment, or suspension or revocation of business license, if applicable; and violation of the ban for advertising and promotion would be meted P2,000; P3,000 and P5,000 penalties while imprisonment, suspension or revocation of business license or permit could be done in such cases.

“But more than the fines and dues, what we really would like is to send a strong signal that we are serious in this. And what we saw as an impact of this is the lesser presence of cigarette butts at the central business district and people breathing less smoke coming from cigarettes compared to that of before. The people now are conscious of the Smoke Free Ordinance,” Tubera said.