Noynoy eyed as anti-smoking poster boy

MANILA, Philippines - The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) yesterday asked incoming president Benigno Aquino III, a smoker, to be the poster boy for the government’s anti-tobacco campaign.

FCAP executive director Dr. Maricar Limpin also urged Aquino “to make a difference and uphold public health instead of the business interests of the tobacco industry.”

“We understand the difficulty of smokers to quit the addiction as they have been victims of the tobacco industry’s deliberate effort to omit the real effect of nicotine, which is addictive. However, we believe that after we went through the most difficult times, we deserve a healthy leader who will be able to fulfill his promise of righteous governance,” Limpin said.

She encouraged Aquino to do a Barack Obama, the US president who is a smoker, “but instituted a breakthrough policy on stricter regulations for tobacco products that are known to contain chemicals causing cancer and other fatal diseases.”

FCAP has been advocating for stricter implementation of Republic 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act, especially the provisions that pertain to the advertisement of cigarettes.