A Smoke-Free Philippines?

While I was in college, I wondered if the pocket gardens they put up for smokers was just a fad. Thankfully, the pocket gardens helped me avoid cigarette smoke (which my body rejects as an allergen) while I was at school. It was then possible to just inhale some of the fresh air from the trees that covered the whole campus. At that time, smoking was also strictly prohibited inside enclosed spaces like malls and airports. I was thankful for that too from a non-smoker perspective. This way, it was easier to just drag a smoker friend in a non-smoking place and just enjoy the conversation without feeling sick of the smoke.

Yesterday, I heard of the news that Baguio just launched a "100% Smoke Free Baguio City" campaign. I researched a little and found out that there were smoke-free city efforts in the Philippines already in place. The list of those who are smoke-free or have expressed their intentions to have a smoke-free city includes Davao City, Makati, Legazpi, Silang (Cavite), Iloilo, Baguio, Caloocan, Manila, Pasig and Taguig. Expect task forces, including the police, mayor's office and tourism authorities, to work together on the campaigns. I respect every smoker in town. My body just can't take the smoke. Consider a smoke-free Philippines and what it will be for the environment and all the people living in it.