Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday said health is the priority over profit as far as a stricter smoking ban in the city is concerned.
If elected as QC’s next mayor, Belmonte vowed to implement as a stricter smoking ban amid complaints that the city government is being “lenient” over its implementation.
She said the people’s health is more important than the bars and other establishments’ added profit due to such leniency.
The city government would revisit Ordinance 1420 for revision to realign it with the Executive Order No. 26 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2017, added the vice mayor, who presides over the city council.
“I know some who have died because of vice-related illnesses, and some were just victimized by second-hand smoke. That’s the reason why we have a smoking ban but still, there are people whose counter-argument is the loss of profit for bars [and other establishments],” Belmonte said.
“You have to weigh which is more important—your profit or the people’s health? I think health is more important,” she added.
Second-hand smoke can also cause lung cancer and other health problems, the vice mayor said.
“You might think it’s okay for you, being a smoker, to acquire respiratory diseases, but you’re forgetting your smoke can kill the person next to you who doesn’t smoke, and it’s obviously unfair. Let’s also think about that perspective,” she said.