PHO to residents: Make Aklan smoke free

Posted April 13, 2015

Written by Gloria Villas

In the bid to make the province of Aklan smoke-free and to keep the local populace from the harmful and deadly effects of smoking.

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) here recently conducted a Provincial Tobacco Control Network Orientation.

The need to make Aklan smoke-free thus the conduct of the orientation was emphasized by Dr. Victor Santamaria, Provincial Health Officer II, by stating in his welcome message that smoking is both dangerous to the smoker as well as to the non-smoker.

“We have to strengthen our campaign against smoking because we are up against a very strong adversary – the tobacco industry”, Santamaria said.

On hand to stress the dangers of smoking as well as to encourage Aklan’s health sector, legislators and other stakeholders to create a smoke-free and healthy environment were resource speakers John Lapascua, Regional Non-Communicable Disease Coordinator; Carlos P. Garcia, Program Officer of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines and Pastor Nick R. Poraso, Regional Tobacco Control Network member of the Department of Health (DOH) 6.

The orientation was held at the Conference Room of the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH).