Leyte town strengthens anti-smoking program

PALO, Leyte, July 31 -- The local government here has strengthened its smoking cessation program by conducting regular visit to barangays and one-on-one dialogue to help town residents to quit the vice. 

The intensified campaign is in support of the nationwide smoking ban which took effect last July 23. 

“If they want to quit smoking, they are very much welcome in our local health facility to avail the program. We have a team who will help them under our smoking cessation initiative,” said town health officer Leo Calonia on Monday. 

Under the cessation program, smokers have to follow a calendar dates where they will need to be “sober in stopping smoking.” 

The team from the local health office also regularly visits the town’s 33 villages to promote the program. 

The team also conducts one-on-one talk with smokers, especially those families with members suffering from smoking-related diseases. 

“The process is difficult but this is beneficial to the residents of Palo,” Calonia said. 

The local health office is also focusing on encouraging teenagers addicted to smoking to stop with the help of the Department of Education. 

“We have been conducting information and education campaign to the youth for them to know the negative effects of smoking especially to their health. This is also part of the Adolescent Sexuality Health Program where anti-smoking is also part of the topics,” he added. 

Calonia said that teenagers must be taught of the ill-effects of smoking to ensure that they would not take up the vice. 

President Rodrigo Duterte signed on May 16, 2017 Executive Order (EO) 26, implementing the nationwide smoking ban and took effect, July 23 or 60 days after its publication in major publications. 

Under EO 26, smoking is ban in public places like schools, recreational facilities for youth, public conveyances like buses, jeepneys, taxi, tricycle, trains, and the likes which carry public passengers, within premises of public and private hospitals; and medical, dental, and optical clinics, airports and seaports, including parking areas in malls. 

Malls, hotels, buildings and establishments except schools and youth facilities may have a designated smoking area but this must not exceed 20 percent of the total floor area of the establishment or building.(Roel T. Amazona/PNA)