The Taguig City government on Thursday urged people to use their social media accounts to report smokers in public places and conveyances.
Mayor Laarni Cayetano encouraged residents, workers and visitors in Taguig to directly report smoking concerns to the city’s official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages “Smoke-Free Taguig” dedicated to the city’s campaign against smoking and vaping.
“We are now stepping up the city’s initiative in fully implementing our campaign to achieve a smoke-free community, so we are asking everyone to give importance and protect the health of the general public,” said Cayetano.
The city government also urged residents to follow the ordinance that prohibits smoking and vaping in public places and urges smokers to do so only in Designated Smoking Areas or DSAs.
City Ordinance No. 15, Series of 2017 says that DSAs should have highly visible and prominent “Designated Smoking Area” or “Smoking Area” signs, and a message that “Minors are not allowed within these premises.”
The city opened a “One-Stop Shop” registration for DSAs earlier this month and continues to encourage building owners and locators in Taguig to properly establish designated smoking zones and have them registered with the city.
Smoking and vaping in all forms of public conveyances, government-owned vehicles, accommodation and entertainment establishments, workplaces, enclosed or partially enclosed public places, public buildings, and public outdoor spaces within the city are prohibited.
Under the same ordinance, selling, advertising, and promoting cigarettes and/or Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) are not permitted within 100 meters from any point in the perimeter of a school, public playground, any office of the Department of Health and attached agencies, hospitals and health facilities.
The sale and distribution of tobacco products and/or ENDS to minors are also outlawed.
A fine of up to P1,000 will be imposed on first-time offenders, while an amount of P3,000 is meted out to second-time offenders.
For subsequent offenses, a violator must pay a fine of P5,000 or face imprisonment for a period not exceeding 30 days, while owners of establishments who violate the ordinance for the third time will pay a fine of P5,000 and cancellation of their business permits.
For government employees, the city government also released a memorandum early this year that reiterates places where smoking and vaping is allowed. It prohibits the same “within the premises of buildings, offices, and facilities owned, leased, used, or managed by the Taguig City government,” with a warning that harsher penalties will be applied following civil service rules.
A task force has been formed to create a safer and healthier Taguig.
The team is composed of personnel from various departments that include the City Health Office, Local Building Office, City Engineering Office, Business Permits and Licensing Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Public Order and Safety Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Human Resources Management Office, Solid Waste Management Office, Sanitation Office, Traffic Management Office, Market Management Office, Barangay Affairs Office, City Legal Office, the Philippine National Police, DepEd Division Superintendent of Schools, President of the Liga ng mga Barangay, Metro Manila Development Authority, and Civil Service Office representatives.
Early last month, the MMDA cited Taguig City for its unrelenting strategy against smokers in public places and conveyances, and protect non-smokers, particularly pregnant women and children, from second-hand smoke that caused lung cancer and other ailments.
MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said his agency recognized the effort of the city to contribute to health and sanitation of Metro Manila.
“What we want is a healthier environment for everyone. Smoking has always been a risk to the health of not only the smoker but also to non-smokers. To make this advocacy effective, we are firmly implementing this policy to ensure that every life is protected from the hazardous effects of smoking,” said Mayor Cayetano.
Non-smoking adults exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work have a 25 to 30 percent increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Babies of non-smoking women who are exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy are at risk of experiencing a small reduction in birth weight.
Smoking kills six million people a year worldwide and will cause more than eight million deaths annually by 2030, according to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC also reported that cigarette smoking is also responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including nearly 42,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure.