BAGUIO CITY – – The City Health Services Office (CHSO) asserted vaping is still addictive as it serves as a stepping stone for individuals to eventually smoke.
City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galop disclosed the vapes being used by vapers actually have the addictive nicotine which compels individuals to increase the intake of the said substance resulting to addiction.
She added once vapers are no longer satisfied with the use of the vapes, they will progress to smoking.
Galpo, who chairs the Smoke Free Baguio Task Force, said that nicotine is also a cardio-vascular stimulant that can result to smokers acquiring heart ailments, among other illnesses.
“We continue to raise our position on the proposal of vapers in the city for the regulation of vaping instead of being included as part of totally banned activities similar to smoking. Vaping is still dangerous to the health of the vapers,” Galpo stressed.
The city health officer noted the aggressive implementation of the deputized law enforcers and public order and safety enforcers on the comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance gained positive results, especially in instilling discipline among minors not to smoke.
According to her, the task force completed the prescribed trainings for personnel of the district health centers, and selected barangay officials and volunteers, who will implement the anti-smoking ordinance in the city’s 128 barangays to realise the local government’s overall purpose of making the city smoke free.
Galpo claimed the city health office will deputise selected barangay officials and volunteers to take charge of monitoring the implementation of the anti-smoking ordinance in their areas of jurisdiction.
Ordinance No. 34, series of 2017, was approved in May 2017 but it was only implemented at the start of the year following the aggressive conduct of a public information and education campaign on the local legislative measure.
Aside from individual smokers in the different parts of the city, Galpo revealed there were also numerous establishments that were apprehended and fined for violation of the anti-smoking ordinance which illustrates the local government’s desire for a smoke-free Baguio.
She urged residents and visitors, especially minors, to strictly abide by the comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance to spare them from life-threatening illnesses.
By Dexter A. See
