On "World No Tobacco Day" on Tuesday, anti-smoking advocates said stricter tobacco regulation policies are needed because 10 Filipinos die every hour due to smoking and secondhand smoke.
"Mataas talaga ang prevalence natin sa smoking. Sampung Pilipino ang namamatay kada oras. Sa extent ng programa na ito, may sampung Pilipino na namatay dahil sa smoking," said executive director of Health Justice Philippines Inc. Atty. Debby Sy in an interview on "News to Go" on GMA News TV. Also on "News To Go" on Tuesday, Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, project director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), said "One out of two, fifty percent of regular smokers die because of smoking. That's too much. Okay lang sana kung 1 or 2 per cent, mapapabayaan pa natin yan." Dorotheo said
"Talagang dumadami ang naninigarilyo sa Pilipinas at nakikita ko na kung hindi po natin matigil ang pagdami ng naninigarilyo." "Hindi rin po matutupad yung public health mission natin na sa lahat ng tao lalo na sa mahihirap ay may tamang kalusugan, dahil karamihan din po ng naninigarilyo usually mga mahihirap din po," he added. On Monday, a day before World No Tobacco Day, "100% Smoke-Free Metro Manila" was launched, where local chief executives expressed support for the enforcement of the Tobacco Regulation Act to help Metro Manila become "smoke-free" by 2012.
Diseases caused by smoking According to the World Health Organization, exposure to tobacco smoke contributes to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and tuberculosis. In a statement, WHO said scientific literature indicates that, just a few months after the implementation of smoke-free laws, the hospitalization rates for myocardial infarctions decrease by 20–40%. "This is legislation that is really working," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. "It is working for the public and for the health system. Where the laws are enforced, we are seeing not only better health for people but also rapid and significant reductions in hospital admissions, which must mean lower costs for health systems," Jakab said. "The key message of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2011, is the need for countries to ratify and fully implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco smoke. In the WHO European Region, 46 countries and the European Community have ratified the treaty," WHO said. WHO projects that this year, tobacco will kill nearly 6 million people globally: more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Legislation is proving to be an effective way to regulate and control exposure to tobacco, and to reduce the number of people who smoke. Smoke-free policies in workplaces in several industrialized countries have reduced total tobacco consumption among workers by an average of 29%. Despite critics' reservations about the public’s acceptance of smoking bans and about the effect on business, particularly the hospitality sector, an international review of evidence covering over 100 studies found either a neutral or positive economic impact after implementation of smoke-free legislation. For example, 40% of businesses in the United Kingdom reported a positive impact and 57%, a neutral impact. Polls have shown that smoke-free legislation is welcomed and popular in the countries that have adopted it.
Secondhand smoke Dorotheo explained that smoking poses health risks not only to smokers but to those around them. Secondhand smoke, or the smoke from a cigarette that is inhaled by people around the smoker, has the same effect as firsthand smoke. "The effect is the same as that on the smoker," said Dorotheo. Based on over 30 years of evidence from the scientific community, Dorotheo said almost all cases of laryngeal cancer are linked to smoking. More than 90 percent of lung cancer patients are smokers, he said. Apart from lung cancer and laryngeal cancer, smoking is also linked to other types of illnesses including heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as asthma, Dorotheo said. He said research shows that in areas that enforce a smoking ban in public places, there are less admissions to the emergency room of patients suffering from heart attacks.
Sounding like a robot Meanwhile, also on "News to Go" on Tuesday, Jose Manmano, a former smoker and a laryngeal cancer patient, said his vocal chords had to be removed because of cancer and he now speaks with the aid of an electro-larynx. The gadget makes him sound like a robot, but it is either that or sounding like a frog.
"Kung wala itong gadget na ito, hindi na ako makakapagsalita sapagkat tinanggal na ang aking vocal chords dahil sa paninigarilyo," said Manmano, who used to smoke two packs a day since he was sixteen until he was operated on in 2005. "Mababawasan po, syempre matatakot na po akong humithit kung ganyan ang makikita ko," said Manmano when asked if the graphic warning would have made him quit.
Graphic warnings "Napaka importante po ito dahil sa ngayon ang mga pakete po ng sigarilyo ngayon ay may mga warnings, pero puro salita lang po at sa Ingles, na hindi naiintindihan ng karamihan ng mga Pilipino," said Dorotheo, holding up a sample pack of cigarettes with a graphic warning showing what laryngeal cancer looks like.
"Lahat po ng tao alam na masama ang paninigarilyo. Pero hindi nila alam na magkakaroon sila ng laryngeal cancer for example, pero pag nakakita po sila siguro ng mga pictures, gaya nito, makikita talaga," said Dorotheo. Dorotheo added that the strongest evidence of the effectiveness of graphic warnings can be seen among teenagers.
"Young people who are exposed to this, nakikita po talaga may intention na hindi na manigarilyo yung mga nakakakita po nito kasi mas naiintindihan," he said. "What we have now is not enough. We want higher taxes, higher prices for cigarettes so that the youth cannot afford it, so that less youth will be attracted to smoking," Sy said. "Of course we want graphic warnings on cigarette packs because we know that this is the most effective way to teach people that this is what will happen to them if they smoke," Sy said. "Around 70 percent of smokers really want to quit," said Sy, noting that the trouble is they are addicted, and that these policies help them quit. On the other hand, others feel that it is their right to smoke.
"It's fine that they exercise their right kung hindi naman napapahamak ang karapatan ng ibang tao because we know, yung second hand smoke nila will affect others. So tama lang na kung magkaroon ng smoking area dapat sa labas, in places na wala namang ibang maaapektuhan," said Sy. Asked if raising the taxes for tobacco products is fair to the poor, Sy explained that people must see the full economic cost of smoking. "'Pag tumigil kasi sila sa paninigarilyo, marami silang savings. Di sila magkakasakit, so may savings sila on health cost, makakapasok sila sa trabaho, hindi sila mawawalan ng sweldo. So malaki ang savings nila if you increase the taxes and they cannot afford to buy it anymore," said Sy, citing a study that says almost 300 billion in pesos is lost annually due to smoking. Aside from graphic warnings on cigarettes and stricter smoking bans, anti-tobacco advocates in the Philippines have been lobbying for higher taxes on tobacco.
E-cigarettes While some smokers use e-cigarettes to help them quit, Dorotheo says it is not recommended, as not enough studies have been conducted. Dorotheo warned against e-cigarettes, most of which contain no tobacco. E-cigarettes look like cigarettes, but are electronic. "May umiinit na nicotine capsule or container, and that is what they inhale, so they can survive the day without smoking, lalo na po sa opisina," said Dorotheo. However, nicotine has harmful effects on the body, including raising the heart rate and blood pressure, Dorotheo said.
"So hindi po talaga safe siya. The other thing is hindi pa natin alam kung ano yung totoong laman ng e cigarette bukod sa nicotine," said Dorotheo, adding that certain e-cigaretts have been reported to contain marijuana.
"May tobacco din minsan, so hindi po lahat yan ay regulated as a consumer product. Minsan may mga breakdowns din po, pag umiinit sa, loob ng bulsa natin, nagkakasunog din po ng balat," said Dorotheo.
- VVP, GMA News 
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