Puffing Privately

I am at a loss on the usage of the word “enforcement”. 

Yesterday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced a strict enforcement of the no-smoking law in the 17 cities of metro Manila. This got me into thinking if the description of “strict enforcement” is appropriate since “to enforce” means to compel obedience, thus every “enforcement” is ought be strict in nature. Probably, the reason for such description must be because the MMDA wants to put grave emphasis on its campaign against smoking in public places.

According to RA 9211 of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, public places - are not allowed for smoking - are defined as “enclosed or confined areas of all hospitals, medical clinics, schools, public transportation terminals and offices, and buildings such as private and public offices, recreational places, shopping malls, movie houses, hotels, restaurants, and the like.” The smokers sector must be grumbling now as their once free world got confined, their freedom limited to their private homes and designated smoking areas. 

If I were to side with the smokers, I would’ve filed a protest to this strict enforcement as a violation of my rights and freedom. But since I am not from their side, I can easily refute that argument by saying that smoking violates the rights of others as they get to inhale second hand smoke which is just as dangerous.

Another good point of discussion among our law makers is the issue to increase the taxes on tobacco. This must follow the logic that since the tobacco prices are higher, fewer people are going to afford this luxury thus lessening the number of smokers. However, in our country where smoking tobacco isn’t seen as luxury but rather a daily need, we see people smoke everywhere that even the less fortunate can spare a few pesos on a stick even while one’s family has nothing to eat.  If we would include smoking in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, it would have placed beside the physiological needs that must be pacified first before reaching self-actualization. 

You may ask, “Isn’t depriving the poor from smoking by raising the taxes anti-poor?” I digress. If you would see the ill effects of smoking and the possible complications that accompany it, stopping smoking can really be pro-poor as it prevents unnecessary hospitalizations and medical expenses. 

I have to commend the MMDA for such a purposeful campaign of making ways to control pollution levels. I hope that the same effort can be sustained and implemented with such vigor as the same office did with the anti-speeding campaign at the Commonwealth Ave. If the government shall continue to train its citizens to be responsible and law-abiding, the Philippines that we once knew we shall see again.

Photo from http://www.cigarettesflavours.com