DOH finds smoking ban difficult to implement

The Department of Health (DOH) has admitted that the implementation of the smoking ban, which has been in effect for the past three months, remained to be a challenge for the government.

“It is easy to have an Executive Order, but the success of its implementation is another story,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in an interview.

Duque said that the full and effective implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 26 continued to pose challenges, especially in the local government units (LGUs).

“We want to know what are the real implementation challenges,” he said, adding that he wanted to look how the EO could be better implemented.

He said that he intended to hold dialogues with LGUs that have had success in implementing tobacco control policies, like the cities of Davao and Makati.

“We will talk to the experts of this program, such as Davao and Makati, those who have attained success with their respective smoking ban implementation,” Duque said.

EO 26, which took effect in July, totally prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places and public conveyances nationwide, except in designated smoking areas.