WHO, DoH for hiking tobacco tax, counseling smokers

MANILA, Philippines—Saying that tobacco use in the country has continued to grow, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DoH) have strongly recommended raising cigarette taxes and providing counseling services and medication for smokers trying to quit.

The two agencies pointed to five key areas that needed changing to effectively curb tobacco use, in a joint report released last week that assessed the country’s capacity to implement tobacco control.

To come out with the report, a team of WHO experts and DoH observers interviewed 128 people representing 78 institutions to evaluate the country’s efforts at reducing tobacco use.

“Despite a history of efforts to curb tobacco use, the tobacco epidemic is actually on the rise in the Philippines,” said Dr. Armando Peruga, manager of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative Program.

The report stated that cigarettes kill roughly 87,600 Filipinos every year, resulting in P148 billion in annual economic losses.

Action-reaction

To be able to effect significant change, the WHO-DoH report highly recommended raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. Doing so would reduce the number of smokers and boost government funds to bankroll public health programs, said the report.

It also pointed out that cigarettes sold in the Philippines were among the cheapest in the international market.

One cigarette stick costs from P1.50 to P3, while a pack containing 20 sticks costs between P30 and P100.

The report also encouraged the government to invest more in 100-percent smoke-free environments.

“A rising number of local government units are making great strides in protecting the people from second-hand smoke but there is not enough technical and financial support to expand this nationwide,” it said.

“Increasing the resources available could deliver substantial health benefits,” it added.

Greater effort needed

The report also recommended the implementation of an order that graphic health warnings be printed on every cigarette pack sold in the country.

“Currently, cigarette packs only carry text warnings in English, which means they are not effective for millions of Filipinos,” said the report.

Based on the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in the Philippines, only 38 percent of smokers who recalled seeing a pack with a text warning thought about kicking the habit.

The report also recommended that the DoH develop and air at least four “hard-hitting” mass media campaigns per year to change the prevailing acceptability of tobacco use in the country.

Lastly, it recommended that the government make accessible counseling services and affordable medication to smokers trying to kick the habit.

“Even though most smokers quit on their own, people who try to quit are more likely to accomplish their goal if they have support,” said the report.