HELP TO QUIT SMOKING
MANILA, JUNE 21,
2011 (STAR) By Sheila
Crisostomo - President Aquino may need professional help to be able to quit
smoking, an official of the Thailand-based Southeast Asia Tobacco Control
Alliance (SEATCA) said.
"Smoking is addictive. We cannot expect your President to quit smoking in a
day or next month," said SEATCA director Bungon Ritthiphakdee in an interview
during a regional workshop organized by the alliance in Siem Reap, Cambodia last
week.
The workshop was intended to discuss the implementation of Article 13 of the
World Health Organization-initiated Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC) on tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship in Southeast Asia.
According to Ritthiphakdee, it may not be easy for a smoker like Aquino to
give up cigarettes because they contain nicotine, an addictive substance.
She added that there "are a lot of measures to help a smoker" quit the habit,
like the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
NRT pertains to various products that contain small amounts of nicotine
developed to help people stop smoking. These include nicotine patches, gum,
inhaler and lozenges which can ease some of the nicotine withdrawal symptoms
like irritability and craving for cigarettes.
Ritthiphakdee added that having a no-smoking environment and peer influence
are important factors that can help the President forgo his cigarettes.
"If he is alerted about the burden of smoking, he would make the right
decisions on measures aimed at curbing the habit that kills around 240 Filipinos
a day. We have enough evidence and information that cigarettes are harmful to
health," she said.
[PHOTO COURTESY OF MINDANAO EXAMINER: THE SMOKING
PRESIDENT]
At present, the Philippines is lagging behind in the fight against smoking in
Southeast Asia, although it is among the 172 signatories of the FCTC and despite
the passage of Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003.
The SEATCA director likewise said that the Philippines failed to uphold the
provisions in the FCTC on the point-of-sale and corporate social responsibility.
Under the FCTC, tobacco advertisements and displays are banned, even in
places where cigarettes are sold.
The expert noted that most point-of-sale sites in the Philippines have
adopted the "color logo" of cigarettes and this is tantamount to promoting them.
She added that SEATCA has also observed that it has become the practice of
most tobacco companies to give donations or sponsorship as part of their
corporate social responsibility.
"Company donates and sponsors activities. They don't mention the brand name,
they mention company names because they want to create a good image and
connection with policy makers," she said.
In Southeast Asia, the countries that are leading in anti-tobacco efforts are
Singapore, Brunei and Thailand while Malaysia is "moving towards there."
Indonesia, on the other hand, is the lone nation that has not signed the FCTC
but has come up with various legislation to curb smoking.
Ritthiphakdee said while there is no legal sanction for the Philippines for
not upholding the FCTC provisions, it stands to lose face in the international
community "because when you sign and you ratify, that means you commit to
implement."
WHO: e-cigarettes won't help you quit By Sheila
Crisostomo (The Philippine Star) Updated June 18, 2011 12:00 AM
SIEM REAP, Cambodia – Health experts yesterday warned against the use
of sisha and the so-called e-cigarettes, claiming the devices are no different
from real cigarettes in nicotine content.
Dr. Susan Mercado, regional adviser for Tobacco-Free Initiative of the World
Health Organization (WHO)-Western Pacific Region Office, said sisha was proven
to be harmful to health in a lot of international studies.
"One hour of sisha exposure is equivalent to 100 cigarettes. It's quite
toxic. It looks like it's not harmful but it is harmful," Mercado stressed.
During the regional workshop on implementing Article 13 of the WHO-initiated
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control organized by Thailand-based Southeast
Asia Tobacco Control Alliance here, Mercado said the alternative methods of
smoking have also been proven addictive because of their nicotine content.
The WHO describes sisha – or waterpipe tobacco – as a device made up of pipes
from a container half filled with water that serves as a filter for the smoke
drawn by suction from a funnel-shaped tobacco holder. Charcoal is placed on top
of the container to burn the tobacco.
Sisha has been used for centuries in the Eastern Mediterranean region and is
commonly found in bars in the Middle East but is becoming popular among the
youth in Southeast Asia.
"Strictly speaking it is not a tobacco product. It's not made of tobacco but
the active ingredient is the same that you find in tobacco which is nicotine,"
Mercado pointed out.
In the same forum, Dr. Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, said the proliferation of
electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, is a "great cause of concern."
"It gives one a false sense of security because it is being marketed as
something that will help you quit smoking when, in fact, there is no evidence to
prove that," Limpin said.
First developed in Beijing, e-cigarette is an electronic device that looks
like a real cigarette. By producing an inhaled mist, it supposedly simulates the
act of tobacco smoking.
Limpin warned that the use of e-cigarettes is also addictive because they
also contain nicotine, like real cigarettes.
"The problem with sisha and e-cigarettes is that they are being flavored to
cover the (taste of nicotine). So you would think that there's no nicotine in
them until you develop addiction. That's false advertising," she said.
Limpin has urged governments to regulate the use of sisha and e-cigarettes to
prevent them from worsening nicotine addiction, especially among the youth.
Nicotine is only one of 70 toxic chemicals, mostly carcinogenic, found in
cigarettes. Among the toxic substances used by ordinary consumers are butane
from cigarette lighters; cadmium from batteries; stearic acid (candle wax);
toluene (industrial solvent); ammonia (toilet cleaner); paint; methanol (rocket
fuel); carbon monoxide; arsenic (poison); methane (sewer gas); acetic acid
(vinegar) and hexamine (barbeque lighter).
Just like cocaine and heroine, nicotine is addictive because it messes up the
chemicals in the brain.
Nicotine affects the blood pressure and oxygen level in the body, causing the
release of dopamine in the brain.
Dopamine is a chemical that gives pleasurable feelings and since it was
triggered by nicotine, it relies on this toxic substance to achieve the desired
sensation.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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