According to the Manila Times, a few hotels and restaurants have decided to go 100% smoke-free. They include in Makati City the Marco Polo Hotel, the Renaissance Hotel, Le Souffle Restaurant, the Dusit Hotel, the Intercontinental Hotel, the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, in Quezon City the Fernandina Suites 88, the Robbinsdale Hotel, the Sulo Hotel, in Pasay City the Sofitel, in Mandaluyong EDSA Shangri-La Hotel and in Manila the Hyatt Casino Hotel, Kimberly Hotel and Manila Hotel .
DOH: Hotels and restaurants impose total smoking ban - Manila Times
May 29, 2007
By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday announced that number of hotels and restaurants have committed to make their places smoke-free in time for the worldwide celebration of World No-Tobacco Day on May 31.
“We are considering these turn of events as a high point in the government’s campaign for a healthy lifestyle,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque 3rd.
“Smoking is deadly, even in its secondhand form. There are as many nonsmokers who develop lung cancer as their are among smokers themselves,” Duque added.
Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke from burning tobacco products generated by smokers. According to experts, when tobacco smoke contaminates the air, especially in enclosed spaces everyone breathe it in, exposing smokers and nonsmokers to its harmful effects.
According to the Framework Convention Alliance Philippines (FCAP), at least three hotels and restaurants, including the Marco Polo Hotel (Makati City), Fernandina Suites 88 (Quezon City) and Le Souffle (Makati City), have committed to a total smoking ban.
The DOH said that there are also a handful of other hotels and restaurants that pledged for a nonsmoking day on May 31 to observe the event.
Nonsmokers could enjoy a day without tobacco smoke around at 14 establishments all over the metro that would be smoke-free on May 31.
These include Dusit Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Le Souffle Restaurant and Renaissance Hotel in Makati City; Robbinsdale Hotel and Sulo Hotel in Quezon City; Sofitel in Pasay City, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong; and the Hyatt Casino Hotel, Kimberly Hotel and Manila Hotel in Manila.
“There is no doubt that secondhand smoke is dangerous. In fact, it will take six Typhoon ‘Milenyos’ to clean up a smoke place because ventilators, ionizers and other related devices simply cannot do all the work,” Duque stressed.
Health authorities also disclosed that there are 4,000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke and that more than 50 of them are known to cause cancer in humans. Aside from cancer, secondhand smoke also causes heart disease and many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in children and adults.
To date, the economic burden in the Philippines caused by firsthand smokers alone reaches about $6 billion annually.
Smoking is bad for health, money and time, it should be avoided at all cost. Perseverence is the key. So try the best to repel the urge of smoking again....ever.
Posted by: Cigarette Free | July 18, 2008 at 06:07 PM
Smoking is bad for health, money and time, it should be avoided at all cost. Perseverence is the key. So try the best to repel the urge of smoking again....ever.
Posted by: Cigarette Free | July 18, 2008 at 06:07 PM
In my opinion more days have to settled as non-smoking days. One is not enough. Other organizations should be launched and organized against smoking in public places.
Posted by: flats for Olympics 2012 | September 17, 2011 at 04:01 AM