Baguio health official hopes to ban cigarettes
2 MIN READ
By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net
BAGUIO CITY — Dr. Donnabel Tubera, head of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Baguio City Health Services Office hopes that in her lifetime the sale of cigarettes in the country would be banned.
“It would be very helpful if the government would ban the sale of cigarettes. At the moment, Bhutan is the only country that has banned the sale of cigarettes. We hope that this will happen in our lifetime,” Tubera reiterated during the weekly Kapihan sa Baguio last June 13.
“Cigarette is the deadliest artifact known to human civilization,” she stressed. She added that cigarette is harmful to the smoker, the people around him and the environment.
Tubera pointed out that at the moment the existing laws only prohibits the selling of cigarettes to minors, smoking in schools, universities and government offices. She added that even the advertisement of cigarettes are prohibited by law. She admits, however, that even the existing laws are violated. “Many of our stores still sell cigarettes to minors. We still see advertisements of cigarettes until today,” she added.
According to Tubera, Republic Act 9211 also known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 prohibits the sale or distribution of cigarettes within 100 meters from any point of the perimeter of of any school, playground or other facilities frequented by minors, sale or distribution to minors and purchase by minors.
Despite the RA, however, Tubera disclosed that national data show that 80% of smokers started when they were below 18 years old and 25% started when they were less than 10 years old.
The same law also banned all forms of cigarette advertisements in mass media since July of 2008 except those placed inside the premises of establishments selling cigarettes.
Tubera further disclosed that the Baguio City council has been quiet on the ban of tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorship (TAPS) provisions of the law. She explained that there is a need for a local ordinance to beef up the implementation of the TAPS. She challenged the new set of city council to pass an ordinance to lend teeth to RA 9211. # nordis.net
