DoH leads celebration of World No Tobacco Day

The Manila Times

DoH leads celebration of World No Tobacco Day  The Department of Health celebrates World No-Tobacco Day  at the Jose Fabella Memorial Medical Center Annex in Tayuman, Manila on May 31, 2024. Sen. Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, lamented  the passage of Republic Act 11900, or the Vape Law, as it removed stringent requirements such as age access, limitations on flavoring, and jurisdiction of enforcement. She hopes that her committee could investigate the enforcement of the law.  Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary  Albert Domingo, Health officer-in-charge and spokesman, and Dr. Rontgene Solante of the Philippine College of Physicians said that they were ready to investigate colleagues promoting vaping.   Videos by Red Mendoza  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook   Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram   Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter   DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion     Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital     Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify   Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts   Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic   Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #themanilatimes  #philippines #vape #notobaccoday

Transcript

00:00The discussion on banning was had a few years ago so we decided that we are selling this product.

00:09These are legal products, so what's important is that the regulations are very strict.

00:13That's why I won't stop saying that the vape law is very watered down

00:20because access from 21 years to 18 years old,

00:25the flavors are allowed, and the jurisdiction was removed from the BDI.

00:30So I had a blue ribbon hearing to see what the government agencies that are tasked

00:37to regulate these very harmful products are doing.

00:41Because it's spreading, you saw the reports,

00:46and can you imagine a generation of children now addicted to products that are very harmful, that are deadly.

00:54Senator, of course, there will be issues regarding the support of the vape bill,

01:01especially in the House and in the Congress of Margarita,

01:04who is one of the most ardent supporters of this law.

01:07How can you resolve these differences, especially in the inter-parliamentary issues?

01:13Because this was being pushed down in the House,

01:16and you're one of the most vocal oppositors in the Senate.

01:22How? How can you resolve these issues?

01:25I think Congressman Pulay is part of the delegation to the WHO in Panama.

01:31So the celebration of World Tobacco Day is a step in the right direction

01:37because we need to keep talking about this.

01:39We need to make our decisions.

01:40Senators, congressmen, policymakers need to make evidence-based decisions.

01:45Our decisions today will affect the children today, tomorrow, the future.

01:51So if our basis is that we have friends in the tobacco industry,

01:55they say it's safer.

01:57That's not the way to do our work properly.

01:59Our work never ends.

02:01We have to look at the research, and the research will show you that these are harmful.

02:05There are those who die.

02:06You've seen that.

02:07Internationally, there are so many studies that show kids dying,

02:13I mean 14-year-olds dying from serious respiratory ailments

02:17because they consume a product that they can't stop because they're addicted.

02:22So that's what's worse.

02:23I wish you could taste it and stop.

02:25But that's not how this product is made.

02:27And that's why they're targeting the youth.

02:29And I'm also calling upon the private sector.

02:32I said this is a whole-of-nation approach.

02:34The private sector has to do their part.

02:36Those online sellings, they'll say,

02:38Oh, we try, we try.

02:39No, you can try harder.

02:40You can do better.

02:42Syntax law.

02:43So the beneficiaries of the syntax law are primarily all the hospitals, the public hospitals.

02:48We have to, I've been in public service since 2004, so 20 years.

02:56And we can really see where the syntax went.

03:00It improves the infrastructure, the equipment.

03:04We have a lot of public hospitals that are better equipped than private hospitals.

03:08But does that mean, okay, let's just promote the use of syn products?

03:12Let's promote it to make the hospital better?

03:14No, it doesn't work that way.

03:15Simply, when you buy that product, at least you can get something.

03:20So if you need to get medicine, you don't have it.

03:22But the logic is not to encourage the use of these harmful products.

03:27So do farmers benefit?

03:30I don't know.

03:31You answer those questions.

03:33I've been asking for a long time.

03:35We have laws that require that they shift and help their livelihoods.

03:41And that is what we want.

03:42Our farmers all over the country, regardless of the product, are one of the poorest sectors in this country.

03:49And tobacco farmers are no exception.

03:51They're very poor.

03:52Does it mean that they have to push to produce products that are not affecting their livelihoods?

03:59No, I think the solution is improve their livelihood by giving them other skills so that they can be more than farmers, too.

04:07Because it is a very noble profession.

04:09My grandfather was a farmer.

04:10So I have a lot of faith in the people who provide food for us.

04:17But, you know, clearly they have a hard life.

04:21And if you really want to improve, if you're going to say that your concern is the tobacco farmers,

04:27then improve their life.

04:28Give them other sources of livelihood.

04:33I know this is a bit controversial.

04:35Because there are doctors, indeed, who are promoting vapes.

04:39They are published.

04:41And they are being touted in all press releases.

04:46So, Dr. Jean, how are we going to resolve this issue of doctors being peddlers of vapes?

04:54And Dr. Albert, I know that the DUA does not hold a doctor who promotes vapes under the purview of the PRC.

05:03Should we convince the PRC to remove their license?

05:09Because they're promoting unhealthy vapes.

05:19Because if there are doctors promoting vapes, there are people who are avoiding them.

05:26So, how are we going to resolve this issue of these doctors who are not even promoting vapes?

05:34It's a good question.

05:37Because two weeks ago, we already received a complaint from Dr. Paz Valera.

05:46There are members of the Philippine College of Physicians who are also doing lectures on alternative heart reduction in smoking,

05:57in addition to vaping.

06:00So, we're looking at that.

06:03This is our procedure in the Philippine College of Physicians.

06:08Actually, for this fiscal year, we will now strengthen our goal of ethics to the point that even if we don't have a complaint,

06:17we will be proactive in calling attention to all those who are involved in these kinds of activities that are out of the Philippine College of Physicians.

06:28And we will do that.

06:30So, rest assured, we will do that at our level in the Philippine College of Physicians.

06:37Thank you, Red, for those who have welcomed us.

06:40Let's go back to what Red said two years ago and before.

06:44Let's make it more controversial.

06:46How about those doctors who only prescribe ivermectin for COVID-19?

06:51It's the same, right?

06:54The DOH is saying that ivermectin is not for COVID-19.

06:58We are already saying that vaping is fatal.

07:02But it's true, because we are not the ones who will be disciplining the doctor.

07:06It's a professional regulation condition.

07:08But if there is an investigation, the Ethics Committee, the PMA, the BRC, the PCP, etc.,

07:15where will they get a quote or statement that this is the official position of the DOH?

07:22So, I repeat, vaping is fatal.

07:25Vaping is fatal.

07:27Vaping is fatal.

07:29BRC, please do your thing.

07:32This was shared by the pulmonologist of the UPPGH,

07:36who is actually a co-health advocate.

07:39This one is a 22-year-old male,

07:42healthy, sporty, no habs, no vices, non-smoker.

07:48He went to the PGH because his lungs were clogged, and he has a tumor.

07:53When you look at his lungs, it's white, right?

07:57That's what we call a white-out lung.

07:59So, in layman's terms, we can say that his clear lungs were purified

08:06because the vape chemicals induced inflammation and inflammation were blocked.

08:16Now, that vape was the cause of the clogged lungs in his heart,

08:26which led to a heart attack, what we call a myocardial infarction.

08:31So, double whammy.

08:33The lungs were clogged, the lungs were purified, and the heart was clogged.

08:39So, there, he died in spite of all the efforts made by the PGH doctors.

08:45This is the first documented case, right?

08:48The criteria of EVALI.

08:51With the help of vape, he is now rest in peace.

08:55And that is what we call, for this World No Tobacco Day,

09:00we have to protect our young.

09:03Why?

09:04You can't tell them what they are doing, but it's actually the deception,

09:10the tobacco industry interference.

09:13What have they done with the laws?

09:16Yeah, we have laws, but we still have to improve these laws.

09:20So, do not criticize the victim, but it's actually,

09:25he is the victim of misinformation.

09:28Too bad.

09:29So, that is what we call World No Tobacco Day.

09:33We have to protect our children, the young, from the tobacco industry

09:38because this vaping, e-cigarettes, electronic smoking devices,

09:43are very, very harmful.

09:46You are still developing, growing, and you'd be productive,

09:50and you should not be having that rest in peace, right?

09:54Just to clarify, what is the cause of EVALI?

09:59That is the term for severe disease,

10:02that is why e-cigarette vaping is associated with injury.

10:07So, there are criteria, you should be vaping for 90 days.

10:11Then, there is no comorbidity, no other illness, no diabetes,

10:15no ultra-pressure, no cardio-metabolic,

10:18the one that is damaged in the lipid profile, high cholesterol.

10:23Then, the negative respiratory panel,

10:26so no bacteria, no virus, no fungus,

10:29so that you can really have an EVALI case.

10:33Not all EVALI patients die.

10:36So, the death rate, even in the United States,

10:40was 2,680, and 64 died.

10:44In the Philippines, maybe this is like the top tip of the glacier that we see,

10:49but one has already come out, properly documented.

10:53So, just like our discussion earlier,

10:56we Filipinos lack resources,

10:59but we have a strong willpower, right?

11:02So, let's look at its history,

11:05vaping, you don't have an illness, this happened,

11:09think about that.

11:11So, we are calling, we are calling the young,

11:14let's not be broken-hearted,

11:17as Asek Domingo said,

11:19let's not drown in the smoke of cigarettes and vapes,

11:25because every Filipino youth should grow up healthy and happy

11:32in an environment with clean air.

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