Urging stronger policies vs smoking

Ma. Kristine L. German The author is Teacher III at Sta Ana Elementary School

Department of Education officials appealed to legislators and policymakers to institutionalize strong and comprehensive tobacco control policies in support of the promotion of healthy choices among Filipinos learners. According to Education officials, they are using all available platforms to appeal to legislators, decision-makers, and influencers to help in protecting the welfare of learners by institutionalizing policies and creating an environment that is supportive of their health-promoting choices. During the recent Philippine Smoke-free Movement Champions’ Conference, officials mentioned that such policies are needed to complement DepEd’s ongoing efforts to keep schools smoke-free and to educate learners about the ill effects of tobacco use. Schools have always been smoke-free, and this is not only to protect learners from second-hand smoke, but also from situations that normalize tobacco use to make it appealing to them. But schools can only do so much, as environments learners are exposed to when they are not in school also have a great influence on their decisions as to whether to give in to or to reject the temptation to get into smoking. With the theme “Building and Celebrating Tobacco Control Champions: Promoting, Defending, and Institutionalizing Smoke-Free Environment Policies,” the conference was organized to campaign for the passage of a comprehensive smoke-free environments law in the 18th Congress. Officials said we are in a very strategic time to have this legislative measure passed, especially now that the administration has repeatedly and publicly expressed support for tobacco control. The DepEd noted that the future of the youth is at stake as they are targeted by the tobacco industry to be its consumers. As repeatedly mentioned by the World Health Organization, the youth are being targeted by the tobacco industry to be their next generation of consumers. Through strong and comprehensive tobacco control policies such as the measures being advocated, this battle can be won, officials said. The DepEd said what we are really talking about are the dreams of youth that can only be achieved if they grow up healthy and free from the harms of tobacco use. The conference was organized by the Social Watch Philippines (SWP) in partnership with DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH), together with the rest of the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement (PSFM). SWP is a non-government organization dedicated to advancing pro-health advocacies such as the Universal Health Care and tax increases on tobacco products and campaigning for tobacco-control policies. The Department recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with SWP to become an institutional partner of the PSFM.

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