DOH: Smoking can break your heart

TOBACCO BREAKS HEARTS.  Health officials and anti-smoking advocates urge the public to quit smoking and choose a healthy lifestyle on World Tobacco Day on Thursday, May 31, 2018. (Photo from DOH’s Facebook page)

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke could lead to heartbreak.

This was the warning of Health Secretary Francisco Duque, as he reminded Filipinos to quit smoking and choose a healthy lifestyle to avoid suffering from harmful effects of tobacco use.

“I would like to reiterate that tobacco use and breathing secondhand smoke may indeed break your heart,” Duque said in a statement on Thursday – the World No Tobacco Day.

The theme of World Health Organization (WHO) for this year’s commemoration was “Tobacco Breaks Hearts.”

“You may have heard this a million times, smoking is dangerous to your health, but we still want to remind you every time we have a chance,” Duque added.

Duque emphasized anew the implications of smoking, especially to blood flow within the body.

“Tobacco smoke thickens the blood, increases the risk of blood clots, narrows the arteries and restricts oxygen in the blood,” he explained.

According to WHO’s website, the yearly World No Tobacco Day every 31st of May is a way of “highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco use,” which causes around seven million deaths annually.

A WHO report noted that tobacco use has decreased since 2000, with 20 percent of the world’s population smoking in 2016 down from 27 percent in 2000.

However, the report also showed this decline has failed to meet “globally-agreed” targets, which aimed for a 30 percent reduction by 2025.  According to the international organization, only a 22-percent reduction will be achieved in 2025 if the prevailing trend continues.

LGU smoking ban

Duque said local government units should pass strict ordinances in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 26, which banned smoking in public places.

“The DOH supports the strengthening of existing measures on tobacco control. For one, the Executive Order no. 26 on the nationwide smoking ban is most essential,” he said.

Duque advised smokers to start quitting by seeking help from Quitline (165-364), a hotline where health workers provide real-time counseling and support.

“With the Quitline, Filipino smokers now have an easier, accessible way to put into action their intention to quit smoking,” Duque said.

He also appealed to young people to use the power of technology to study the ill effects of tobacco use.

“We call upon our youth to make informed decisions and make smart use of technology. With the abundance of information available on the web, we hope everyone gets the right content from credible sources,” Duque said.

“You may visit the DOH or WHO website and Facebook pages and see for yourself the truth about tobacco products.  In the age of misinformation, it’s time to be more mindful about what we get and where we get our facts,” he added.          /kga