There is a strong anti-smoking sentiment in some parts of the society especially in the province of health. I don’t know the latest about the proposal of another solon(?) requiring cigarette manufacturers to put a graphic picture on cigarette boxes depicting the health hazard smoking gives. In other words, they want the country to have a breathing-air with lesser tobacco smoke contamination.
It sounds impossible that we can totally kick the habit out.
It sounds impossible that we can totally kick the habit out.
Ironically, Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Eric Owen Singson authored House Bill 170 “requiring cigar and cigarette manufacturers to use at least 75% of locally grown tobacco in the manufacture of cigarettes in the country to help the economy grow”.
That means that if enacted into law, Filipinos are encouraged to smoke to help the economy grow. Sounds weird!
Ilocos Sur is one of the major Virginia tobacco producing provinces in the country and large percentage of its economy depends on it.
From what we read, smoking is bad to health but good to the economy. There's no question that the sale of tobacco products immensely help our anemic economy.
If anti-smoking proponents are successful in reducing the number of smokers to a minimal level after Singson’s bill becomes a law, Ilocos Sur’s coffers surely suffer and time comes when they have to discover tobacco’s alternate crop to generate income lost from their industry.
Smoking may be bad but don’t the smokers have also the right to smoke? If they want to continue the bad habit, why not? Plans in the shelf to prohibitively increase the price of a pack of cigarette not to mention its ballooned tax should not be implemented. Smoking is not a crime --- just a habit, bad if you will.
Should tobacco manufacturers be compelled to use only 25% of imported ingredients, what if their patented flavor is not met or below their quality and their customers dwindle to a dangerous level? Probably it is wiser if they padlock their businesses before they go bankrupt. Should that happen, Singson's bill turned into law greatly helps in weakening economic gains.
Oh well, there are a lot of interesting bills in Congress these days. What is next? Selling pork will be outlawed because cholesterol is a health hazard? Pasig river and the "esteros" (filthy or polluted creeks) should be land-filled because they are health hazard?-30-
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