Imposing Nationwide Smoking Ban in the Philippines

Imposing Nationwide Smoking Ban in the Philippines

    The Philippines ranked second in the highest number of smokers among the South-east Asian countries. The ranking is quite alarming that our President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to impose a nationwide smoking ban in all public places. The executive order of a smoke-free Philippines is now ready and is awaiting Duterte’s signature.

            
              According to Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag, the executive order aims to protect the public from second-hand smoke- that is inhaled when a smoker is nearby or when smoke lingers afterwards. The nationwide smoking ban in the Philippines should be imposed to stop the hazards of secondhand-smoke, reduce healthcare costs, and improve work productivity.

            
          The oppositions to the executive order are present, specifically by tobacco companies. The order will cause a fall in the sale of cigarettes. As a result, tax to be collected from tobacco industry will decrease. Tax from cigarettes is considered one of the major contributors to the country’s economy. If there would be a reduction to the tax revenue, then the government may have to reduce the national budget which will give a risky impact to the important sectors like education and healthcare. The government will be required to make up the loss taxes and this is by increasing the taxes of other products which will result to more expensive goods.

            
           If smokers think that they are the only ones who are vulnerable to the diseases smoking can cause, then it is a big mistake. The smoke that they let out from their mouths or noses are inhaled by those who are around them and it is called second-hand smoke. For example, if at home there is a member of the family who smokes then the other members of the family who are non-smokers will be exposed to second-hand smoke. It can affect everyone. For adults, the effect of second-hand smoke is 25% to 30% increased risk of developing lung cancer and for infants and children, the exposure can cause SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, acute respiratory infections, asthma and slowed lung growth. Moreover, studies showed that heart-related health problems occur in non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke. According to Paulyn Ubial, country’s Health Minister, the imposition of the ban is not to stop smokers from smoking but to stop them in smoking around non-smokers.

           
            Without the exposure to cigarette smoke, there will be no chances of getting smoking related diseases. The healthcare costs allotted for the treatment of these kinds of diseases will reduce. And at the same time, the government’s healthcare budget for the services in the treatment and management of smoking-related illnesses will be saved. This is a good way of giving the money to other healthcare services that is in need of more financial needs.

            
              Another advantage of smoking ban in public places is that it can help in maintaining work productivity. How does workers or businesses affected by smoking? When there is cigarette smoke in any kind of workplaces the smoke that cigarettes produce can affect the health of the workers which may cause absenteeism. And for food-selling businesses, their products can be contaminated by the harmful chemicals that cigarettes produce. Both will result in the loss of work productivity.

            Overall, imposing the smoking ban will provide an environment where individuals will have protection against the hazards of second-hand smoke. Moreover, the ban will help in reducing the threat of serious health problems that requires massive healthcare costs. And it will result to the improvement of work productivity which will help in making a productive economy. The tax that we can loss from the tobacco industry when the ban is imposed is not an enough reason to stop risking the lives of Filipinos from cigarette smoking.