Talisay hospital launches anti-smoking campaign

CEBU, Philippines - Alarmed by the increasing number of patients whose illnesses were caused by smoking tobacco, the Talisay City District Hospital launched a campaign against smoking.

Dr. Camella Conde, TCDH's medical officer, said about 50 percent of the patients admitted to the hospital everyday are suffering from diseases that can be traced to smoking, among which are chronic lung diseases like asthma, high-blood, diabetes, and complications to babies.

Next month, TCDH will sponsor a run together with the Talisay City Runners Club to promote a smoke-free environment. Conde said the objective for the run is to encourage smokers to shift from the habit of smoking to the habit of running.

Paul Gambong, a former smoker, said he used to smoke one to 1 ½ packs of cigarettes a day until, in one of his runs, he saw a 60-year-old man who ran faster than him. He quit smoking since then and remains an active member of TCRC.

The Talisay City Rehabilitation and Detention Center for one was among the first to push for an anti-smoking drive.

Last month, jail warden Renante Rubio, in compliance with the directive issued by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), ordered a total ban on smoking inside the jail premises. The order covers inmates and all BJMP workers.

Rubio explained that he personally supports the BJMP's "no smoking in jail" policy not only to push a better lifestyle among smokers, but more so to protect the health of inmates that inhale second-hand smoke.

Each year 35,000 Filipinos die due to cigarette smoking, the Department of Health said. - THE FREEMAN