THE New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) is calling on the public to spare Christmas parties they will be attending from being filled with cigarette smoke.
NVAP President Emer Rojas says members of hs group are hopeful smokers will allow their families and friends to fully enjoy the holiday season without being annoyed and worried over cigarette smoke.
“Let us stop ourselves from smoking, especially when we attend so many Christmas parties in the coming days,” said Rojas.
“The best gift we can give to our friends, families, and loved ones this Christmas is not to bring them the threat that come with cigarette smoking, particularly second hand smoke,” he furthered.
Second hand smoke is tobacco smoke exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby.
In the days leading to Christmas, offices, groups, and families are expected to hold parties to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Such parties provide opportunities to eat, drink, and smoke among relatives and friends.
Aside from sparing Christmas parties, the anti-smoking advocate said it would be good if smokers would make it their New Year’s resolution to quit smoking.
This, he said, means that smokers should have the resolve to stop smoking beginning the turn of the year.
“The traditional New Year’s resolution would be a good moment for those who have been looking to quit smoking,” said Rojas.
“Let us just hope that having this resolution will not be just like others that are meant to be broken,” he added.
The New Year’s resolution is a tradition, wherein a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their life.
Among the more common New Year’s resolutions are staying fit, saving money, losing weight, and learning something new.
Rojas, meanwhile, called on local government units and law enforcement agencies to strictly enforce the nationwide smoking ban as their way to help smokers in quitting their deadly vice.
“One of the main goals of a nationwide smoking ban is to discourage smokers from puffing the deadly sticks. We hope the authorities will strictly enforce the ban and, in turn, smokers will eventually lose their desire to smoke cigarettes,” said Rojas.
Earlier this year, President Duterte signed Executive Order 26, which imposes a nationwide ban on smoking in all public places in the Philippines./
