Helping people quit smoking in times of pandemic is urged

 Manila, Ph - Law group ImagineLaw on Tuesday urged government agencies to provide smoking cessation tools as part of their health and wellness program for employees, especially in light of the ongoing novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

“Helping people quit smoking is not just the responsibility of the Department of Health (DOH). It is in the interest of government agencies to improve productivity and overall well-being of their employees,” said Atty. Anna Bueno, policy associate for ImagineLaw. 

The law group said that this program can be done in line with the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 or Republic Act 9211 that mandates a national smoking cessation program.

“It is more urgent now, with the COVID-19 pandemic that also primarily attacks the lungs. Smokers and former smokers experience more severe COVID-19 symptoms compared to non-smokers,” Atty. Bueno also said.  

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She added that government agencies should provide their employees with scientific and medical knowledge and tools to help them quit smoking. “Counseling, nicotine-replacement therapy, and community support, among others, are just some of the doctor-recommended tools to help individuals quit nicotine addiction,” she remarked. “These should be made available to employees by the State employer in coordination with the DOH or their healthcare provider,” she urged. 

ImagineLaw maintains that there is a need to go beyond establishing smoke-free government offices and premises. “Making sure that a smoking ban is implemented in government offices is a fundamental first step,” Atty. Bueno said. President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 26 in 2017 that established smoke-free environments that included government premises. 

“Smokers who want to quit need support. Nicotine, a substance present in cigarettes, is highly-addictive,” the lawyer explained. “Six in every 10 smokers want to quit. But tobacco companies, through their aggressive marketing and introduction of more addicting alternatives, are deliberately making it difficult for smokers to quit,” Atty. Bueno said. 

"Cessation support services are a way for the government to protect workers from the tactics of the tobacco industry to prevent smokers from quitting,” she urged. “Helping workers who value their health to quit smoking fosters a good health-seeking work culture,” she added. 

The law group also said that the Civil Service Commission (CSC), in partnership with the DOH, can provide the mechanisms for the smoking cessation program in the civil service sector. In fact, a 2020 Joint Memorandum Circular between the CSC and DOH (JMC 2020-01) on occupational health and safety standards supports the establishment of such mechanisms in light of COVID-19.

ImagineLaw said that government agencies have the opportunity to serve as an example to the private sector. “As more workers return to work, thanks to our vaccination program, it is important that the government sets the new normal for a healthy and productive workplace,” Atty. Bueno concluded. 

 

Despite the toll COVID-19 has taken on health around the world, cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading killer and will cause more than 6 million premature deaths this year. Today, ImagineLaw, Inc. received a grant from Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, to develop nutritional guidelines limiting the sodium and trans fat content in food assistance provided to Filipino households as COVID-19 relief. ImagineLaw will conduct legal assessments and research on existing food procurement policies and make recommendations on nutritional standards for all government procured food, including COVID-19 relief food packs provided in government assistance programs at the national and local level.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated existing issues of public health and food security for many families dependent on government assistance,” said Mary Grace Anne Rosales-Sto. Domingo, Project Manager of ImagineLaw, Inc. “This grant is an opportunity to meet both of these needs – by establishing nutritional standards that restrict sodium and trans fat content in government procured foods, we can ensure that families whose food security has been impacted by the pandemic can access nutritious food that also benefits their cardiovascular health.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families in the Philippines have become more reliant on food packs distributed by government assistance programs.  ImagineLaw will work with the Department of Health (DOH), National Nutrition Council (NNC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) to develop national policy that will require government assistance programs that distribute food to meet nutritional criteria. The new nutritional guidelines will allow all the beneficiaries of government food assistance to have access to heart-healthy foods that are low in sodium and free from trans-fat.

Healthy public food procurement and service policies set nutrition criteria for food served and sold in public settings, including government food assistance programs.  ImagineLaw has successfully implemented public food procurement policies in Quezon City that follow World Health Organization recommendations, including low sodium content and zero Trans fats.

Reduced sodium intake can lower high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attack and stroke, and eliminating trans-fat can reduce heart attacks, decreasing preventable deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Resolve to Save Lives announced awards totaling more than US$1.1 million to improve cardiovascular health around the world, including addressing risk factors heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine Law, Inc. joins LINKS grant awardees in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya and Mexico.

“COVID-19 has revealed vulnerabilities in our health systems and highlighted existing barriers to reducing cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Cohn, Senior Vice President for Cardiovascular Health of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. “These LINKS grantees are engaging in critical, lifesaving work to manage hypertension, eliminate trans fats and reduce sodium. By improving cardiovascular health, they will save lives and help build populations resilient to future epidemics.”

The highly competitive grant program, part of the LINKS platform that connects people working to improve cardiovascular health around the world, is funded by Resolve to Save Lives with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. This is the third round of LINKS grants, following two previous grant cycles in March 2019 and November 2019.

Press Release.