By Marjorie Gorospe
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA- The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is encouraging its members to support the metro-wide smoking ban imposed by the Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
The PMA has some 70,000 members nationwide. The group earlier launched its own advocacy for a “Smoke Free Philippines” last February.
“Smoking kills. As physicians, it is our duty to inform the public of the clear and present danger of tobacco smoking against our health and lives,” PMA President Oscar Tinio said.
Tinio said second hand and even third hand tobacco smoke equally kills people. He cited a study on Metro Manila's 12 million inhabitants showing that more than 20% of heart attacks in Metro Manila can be attributed to second hand smoke.
The study was done by the World Lung Foundation (WLF) and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
The same study also revealed that if one's average exposure to second hand tobacco smoke in Metro Manila is one to seven hours per week, the total attributable heart attacks would be approximately 10%.
But if the average number of hours of exposure is more than 21 hours per week, the number of second hand smoke related heart attacks in Metro Manila would increase to more than 20% of the total heart attacks incident in the metropolis.
“A separate study done by the US Department of Health and Human Services showed that only by eliminating smoking in indoor spaces can a non-smoker be fully protected from exposure to second-hand smoke.”
“This study further confirms that the usual practice of separating smokers from non-smokers in public places cannot eliminate dangerous exposures of non-smokers to second hand smoke even if air cleaning devices and building ventilations are used,” Tinio said.
He said “these shocking revelations necessitate the total ban on tobacco smoke in public places.”
“There are existing Philippine laws on smoking but its enforcement is poorly implemented,” Tinio said.
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