HINDI na makapaghintay ang New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) na ipatupad ni President-elect Rodrigo Duterte ang nationwide no-smoking policy, ayon sa ulat ng Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Ayon kay Global Cancer ambassador at NVAP president Emer Rojas, dating naninigarilyo at cancer survivor, sinasaluduhan ng grupo ang plano ng nakaambang pangulo na ipatupad sa buong bansa ang long-standing no-smoking policy na una niuang ipinatupad sa Davao City.

“The smoke-free places implementation in Davao City being scaled up on a nationwide setting is simply laudable and the NVAP fully supports this pronouncement of presumptive President Duterte,” sambit ni Rojas.

Pinagdiinan niya na ang anti-smoking ordinance ay ipinatupad sa Davao simula pa noong 2002 at nagsilbing model city sa tobacco-control measures.

Sinabi pa ng cancer survivor-turned-anti-smoking advocate na ang pagpapatupad ng nationwide smoking ban ay malaking tulong sa bansa sa pakikipaglaban sa tumataas na kaso ng cancer.

“As cancers brought about by smoking continue to rise due to the prevalent use of cigarettes in the past years, it is high time we put a stop to this rising cancer trend,” diin ni Rojas.

Ilan sa karaniwang sakit, bukod sa cancer, ay ang cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, at stroke.

“Having a nationwide no-smoking policy will certainly boost what the GHW and Sin Tax laws intend to achieve, which is to help discourage the public, especially the youth, from tobacco addiction,” ani Rojas.

Napag-alaman na ang smoking-related diseases ay pumapatay ng 10 Pinoy kada oras at 87,600 Pinoy kada taon, ayon sa The Tobacco Atlas.