The Philippine Department of Health has announced a “competition” for cigarette and e-cigarette users to encourage smoking abstinence, which will last until October 31, the Philippine Star reported.
Protecting people’s health
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said he was gratified by this collaboration between the Philippine Lung Center and the Philippine Association Against Smoking and Health (ASH), who together face these issues and aim to protect the health of the people.
Hebosa added:
“We encourage public and private health advocates to rigorously enforce the provisions of the e-cigarette law and implement our smoke-free and vaping-free regulations so that we can live in a healthier, fresher environment.”
Former smokers who have stopped smoking in July 2022 or who have never smoked in the past six months can enter the competition.
“We chose July 2022 as the starting point because smoking cessation services are also available in the country during that period,” Maricar Limpin, executive director of ASH, said at a news conference.
The winners will be decided through a draw on November 22 and there will be three winners: one each from Luzon, the Bisayas Islands and Mindanao.
They will each receive a prize of 5,000 pesos. Each participating region will also receive a consolation prize of 1,000 pesos.
According to Lin Ping, local government units that have registered at least 100 smokers in the smoking cessation program, as well as health workers and smoking cessation staff who assist participants, will be rewarded.
She noted that if contestants can honestly state that they have quit smoking for at least six months or more, and promise to continue quitting throughout the competition, they will win the competition.
Register e-cigarette patients and their symptoms
Meanwhile, according to one pulmonologist, e-cigarettes may be more harmful than smoking.
She added:
“Vaping is more harmful than smoking cigarettes or tobacco because we don’t see this rapid onset of respiratory and other lung problems.”
Lin Ping said it is necessary to register e-cigarette patients and their symptoms because the documentation of vaping-related diseases is mostly clinical anecdotal.
She noted that there are no documented effects of e-cigarettes. However, the Philippine College of Chest Physicians will begin collecting these cases and their details.
References:
【1】Stop and Gain: DOH launches quit smoking contest