A smoking plea: Please increase sin tax

MANILA, Philippines - Robot-voices are calling for support for Health Secretary Enrique Ona’s position to increase the excise taxes on sin products. Among them is the New Vois Association Philippines, a support group for laryngeal cancer survivors.

Laryngeal cancer attacks the vocal cords and sufferers have to speak with a device that makes them sound like robots. Ninety percent of laryngeal cancer victims got it from smoking.

New Vois head Emer Rojas is looking forward to the additional tax that would earn higher revenues from sin products for the government, like they have in other countries. Comprehensive reform measures on an improved tobacco taxation system were proposed by Rep. Dina Abad of Batanes and Rep. Niel Tupas of Iloilo.

In its position paper, the DOH acknowledges that the “price of both tobacco and alcohol is the single largest factor influencing short-term consumption patterns.” He also said that “price plays a major role in determining how many young people will start smoking and drinking, and thus, influences long-term consumption.” Cigarette prices in the Philippines are some of the lowest in the world, thus making it easy for kids and the poor to take up the deadly habit.

Ona’s bid would fulfill the Philippines’ obligations to the 164 other states that signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC firmly upholds that price and tax measures are effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption by various segments of the population, particularly the youth.

UP Law and HealthJustice also came out with the same recommendation in a policy paper titled “Taxing Health Risks.”