DOH backs MMDA on smoking ban

Despite a temporary restraining order that hampered its anti-smoking efforts, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) got much-needed support from the Department of Health. The DOH said it will continue to drumbeat its advocacy against smoking, including the ill effects of smoking on smokers and on the unsuspecting public. "The Department of Health supports the decision of the MMDA, together with the local government units, to pursue the enforcement of its smoking ban in areas covered by Republic Act 9211 (Tobacco Regulation Act of 1993)," the DOH said in a news release. "In its pursuit of Kalusugan Pangkalahatan [health for all], the DOH stresses that the right of a smoker ceases when he or she violates the rights of others to protect their own health," it added. Also, the DOH stressed the dangers of inhaling second-hand smoke, which can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases in adults. Worse, it said children become prone to lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia, and possibly stunted physical growth and intellectual development. Earlier, a Mandaluyong City court issued a temporary restraining order barring the MMDA from enforcing the anti-smoking drive on sidewalks and public thoroughfares. The MMDA said it will do what it can to penalize those smoking in other public areas. — LBG, GMA News