According to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to sign an executive order (EO) that will effectively ban smoking in public places throughout the country.
There will be no smoking in public places anymore
Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial shares, "The executive order will actually mandate all the agencies of government, including the local government to implement this 100% smoking ban in all public places. It's not just Metro Manila."
She adds, "There will be no smoking in public places anymore, whether indoor or outdoor. Parks, bus stations, and even in vehicles. All these are considered public places."
The draft of the EO has already gone through legal review and has been checked by the presidential team as of January 17.
No smoking inside buildings
President Duterte wanted to enact the national smoking ban since he is against creating smoking areas inside buildings specifically for smokers.
"If you want to smoke, find a place where it is allowed. Now, I've always been against even building a structure inside just to accommodate smokers. That ain't the way," he shares.
He adds, "It must be outside. It must not be in an enclosed cubicle inside the building. That is not good enough."
During Duterte's days as the mayor of Davao, he had been known to chase drivers who smoke while driving and had even forced a tourist to swallow a cigarette butt after hearing that the tourist refused to follow the smoking ban that was enacted in Davao.
Helping people quit smoking
Smoking is dangerous to your health. And even if smokers are aware of this, it's not always easy to quit smoking since in most cases it's already a habit, and nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive. So here are some tips and do's and don'ts to help out someone who wants to quit smoking:
- Understand that they are the ones in charge. It's important to understand and respect their decision to quit. Whichever methods they decide to use, we should be respectful of that decision.
- Spend some time with them so that they can get their mind off smoking. The less time they think about smoking, the easier it would be for them to quit.
- Try and empathize with how they feel. People who've just quit smoking can feel frustrated, annoyed, or get angry easily. Which is why we have to be extra patient and try to empathize with what they're going through, since quitting smoking isn't easy.
- If you live with someone who's trying to quit, remove anything in your home that can remind them of smoking. This includes ashtrays, lighters, or anything that might make them regress back to smoking.
- Don't judge them. The last thing that they need from you is your judgment. Which is why you need to be supportive of someone who wants to quit smoking, since it's a positive change in their lives.
Sources: abs-cbn.com, rappler.com
READ: Erap quits smoking, orders enforcement of smoking ban in Manila
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