Pasig residents who smoke should learn to kick the habit within the next two years or

**tomboy** · January 9th, 2012 09:10 AM

Yeheeyyyyy!!!!! Sana pati san juan and quezon city smoke free din.

Sa makati na lang wag i-ban tutal libre naman kayo ospital ng makati. Hahahahah!!!

Pasig City gets tougher on nicotine addicts

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124721/...cotine-addicts

Pasig residents who smoke should learn to kick the habit within the next two years or move out of the city.

With the unanimous approval on December 15 of an amended antismoking ordinance, the city has kicked off the gradual implementation of a tougher crackdown on people hooked on nicotine with the goal of making public areas in Pasig completely smoke-free in two years’ time.

“Instead of calling our city smokeless, we prefer our public areas to be smoke-free,” Raquel Naciongayo, head of the city environment and natural resources office, told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

The 16-page amended ordinance, authored by Councilor Alexee Santiago, underwent almost a year of deliberations and revisions before it was approved by the city council.

Under the new and improved ordinance, which will take full effect after two years, violators face stiffer sanctions and bigger fines. Even more important, it does away with the provision in the old ordinance which allows buildings to set aside areas which are exclusive to smokers.

Gradual phaseout

This means that within the next two years, all buildings in Pasig, including bars and other similar establishments, should phase out their designated smoking areas.

“We will first make the ordinance known to the public in the first two years and then proceed to its gradual implementation,” Naciongayo said.

In addition, Pasig enforcers will go after people who smoke on the street, including sidewalks, because unlike Republic Act No. 9211, or the antismoking law, the amended city ordinance defines public places as areas frequented by people.

Naciongayo said the city government’s campaign against smoking was to its advantage because it spends around P15 million a year to treat respiratory diseases and other smoking-related illnesses compared to the P5 million it earns in taxes paid by cigarette firms.

**Retz** · January 9th, 2012 09:13 AM

How about e-cigarettes?

**baludoy** · January 9th, 2012 10:12 AM

^ having kicked the noxious habit for almost a decade now, i'd like to know what exactly are the ethics behind smoking e-cigarettes.

are people attempting to quit smoking really allowed to puff on those devices indoors (e.g. malls, restos, hospitals, etc.)? nagulat kasi ako kahapon nung may nakatabi ako nag-vavaping sa tabi ko sa loob nung grocery eh. medyo napa-kunot noo ko until na-realize ko na naka e-cig pala siya

**Ry_Tower** · January 9th, 2012 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Retz

How about e-cigarettes?

Ok lang yan IMHO.

**fourtheboys96** · January 10th, 2012 05:22 PM

uunahin ko muna yang smoke-belching jeepneys kesa sa smokers.

ilang litrong diesel ang nauubos ng isang jeep? ilang kahang yosi ba nauubos n isang smoker?