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[av_heading heading=’City urged to crack down on smoking ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – Councilor Em Ang is urging the city government to strictly impose the ban on smoking in public areas and state buildings.
A task force that will crack down on smoking must be formed, too, said the chairwoman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on health.
Banning smoking in government buildings and their premises is in keeping with Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 17, series of 2009, Ang said.
The memo orders absolute smoking ban in buildings and grounds of government agencies providing health, education, and social welfare and development services such as hospitals, health centers, and schools and universities, colleges, among others.
Strictly imposing the ban is needed to “ensure a 100-percent smoke-free environment” in state buildings and “achieve a healthy and productive government workforce,” she said.
Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, the councilor said, citing the World Health Organization.
Of the number, more than five million were smokers and former smokers, while more than 600,000 were nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke, she said.
She also asked Mayor Evelio Leonardia to convene the Bacolod Anti-Smoking Task Force pursuant to Section 19 of City Ordinance No. 641, series of 2013.
The ordinance “[regulates] smoking in public places, including public conveyances, advertisements, promotions and sponsorships of tobacco products, in accordance with Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and its implementing rules.”
Under Section 19, a task force shall be created to “aid in the implementation, enforcement and monitoring of this ordinance.”
The task force shall also “conduct educational awareness campaigns and information-dissemination and capacity-building programs that will inform the constituents and train enforcement officers.”
Ang said convening the task force will “[help] fully protect the health and welfare of the public.”/PN
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