ZAMBOANGA CITY, (PNA) -– The Department of Health (DOH) has conducted Tuesday a Regional Tobacco Control Network Meeting in this city in a bid to set up a coalition of different stakeholders on tobacco control.
During the meeting, the participants have identified the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders when it comes to tobacco control as well as the implementation of the local anti-smoking ordinance.
“We are trying to set up a coalition with different stakeholders for tobacco control. We intend to establish a committee to be able to help implement our local anti-smoking ordinance,” DOH regional non-communicable diseases coordinator Dr. Ma. Agnes Mabolo said.
“We want to help this city with the implementation of the anti-smoking ordinance.”
The topics discussed during the meeting were the following: the burden of tobacco use; the Philippine Tobacco Control Action Plan 2011 to 2016 framework; tobacco-free policies in Region 9; tobacco control efforts; and, organization of the regional tobacco control network.
Among the agencies represented during the meeting were: Bureau of Customs (BoC); Land Transportation Office (LTO); Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB); Commission on Higher Education (CHED); Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth); and, Councilor Myra Paz Abubakar, the author of this city’s anti-smoking ordinance.
Mabolo said the DOH remains consistent on its advocacy and constant information dissemination when it comes to the effects of smoking. Smoking can cause cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and others.
Mabolo said this is also done to implement the tobacco control not only in this city but eventually in the whole region.
“We should start with the advocacy to inform the public that we have an anti-smoking ordinance. There is really a need to implement it so that no one will smoke in public places except in designated smoking areas,” she said.
“There is nothing good for a person to get from smoking except sickness that could lead to death,” she added.