Philippine city intensifies anti-smoking campaign
The Philippines has developed a reputation for being a dangerous place for drug users, but smokers in one city are also having to look over their shoulder.
Authorities in Baguio City, north of Manila, intensified an anti-smoking campaign on April 6 by arresting and imposing stricter fines to educate the public on the effects of smoking on public health.
Known as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its cool weather, Baguio City has banned tobacco use in all public places. The ban, introduced three years ago, also covers electronic cigarettes.
However, authorities say they are being forced to get tough because residents and tourists have been openly flouting the ban.
Unannounced visits and spot checks are being made in public places such as markets, parks and malls to catch offenders.
Residents and tourists caught smoking are now finding themselves being arrested, taken to a police station and fined 5,000 pesos (about US$100). The previous fine was 3,000 pesos.
“We need to do this not only for our environment here in Baguio but also for the health of our residents. We have seen a higher rate of lung cancer and respiratory diseases in the past three to five years”
It was not clear what punishment offenders face if they are unable to pay the fine. So far the city has collected more than 9 million pesos in fines over the course of the whole campaign.
“We need to do this not only for our environment here in Baguio but also for the health of our residents. We have seen a higher rate of lung cancer and respiratory diseases in the past three to five years,” city mayor Benjamin Magalong told the Baguio Chronicle newspaper.
He said he felt compelled to instruct the city’s public order and safety division to impose a zero-tolerance policy on smoking in public.
An anti-smoking group has praised Baguio City’s zero tolerance on smoking. Anti-cigarette Group, Manila, said other communities in the Philippines should follow its example.
“We congratulate mayor Magalong and the people of Baguio for implementing the law in a stricter way. We have good laws but the problem has always been their implementation,” group spokesman Gerard Jasmin told UCA News.
“They are showing to the country and to the world they could do it. If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Jasmin added.
The group’s spiritual director, Father Inigo Cruz, said quitting smoking is responding to Pope Francis’ call to protect the environment in his encyclical Laudato Si’.
“There is a moral dimension in smoking. It is not only to protect our body but also to assure a better quality of air for future generations,” he said.
