UHC and The Need for A Higher Tobacco Tax
I grew up around cigarettes yet I have never puffed or smoked in my life. Erm, please allow this blogger to expound.
My mom runs a sari-sari store and sometimes I am the bantay. Little kids my age would be ordered by their parents to buy cigars and light 'em up too. I would also sometimes see my parents smoke when they would go to the toilet. But it was infrequent, my folks were not addicted to it.
Then when I worked as a medrep almost all of my teammates were smoking. Poor me and another non-smoker had to endure their disgusting puffs during meetings.
Now WHY did I not try smoking?
Well, aside from the fact that I know its numerous health hazards, I am kuripot and I am aware it has potential for causing addiction (sayang pera). But more so, it was because there was a massive Yosi Kadiri campaign with the horrible mascot (from DOH, I think) during my teen years. And the drive surely gave an impression that it is the vice of choice for tambays and other lowlifes. So there... it does not seem appealing to me.
But we cannot blame the older era because during their formative years, cigars were being marketed as glamorous. They see it everywhere, in movies, commercials, etc.
Earlier this year, I met an elderly woman during a marriage encounter. She has been in and out of the hospital, nearly died, because of her smoking several packs. And guess what? I had to sorta not breathe while talking to her as she was still puffing a cigar. Her addiction was that much.
Last November 29, 2018, I attended Smoke Free Philippines' Raise Tobacco Tax Bloggers Party held at 55 Events Place in Quezon City.
The following are but a few of the useful slides from the event. We indeed learned a lot and it was an eye opener...
A video was shown of Stanley Chi interviewing Solita 'Mareng Winnie' Monsod.
SmokeFreePH is an NGO, a coalition of groups that is dedicated to reducing tobacco harm on Filipinos. It has been around for 10-11 years, and has had its fair share of many victories.
Power of Video Testimonials
by Carlos 'Kaloi' P. Garcia, Communication Manager of Vital Strategies
Sin Taxes in the Philippines (Its Features, Impact and Potential)
by Jo-Ann L. Diosana of Action for Economic Reforms (AER)
Tobacco Tax and You
by Antonio L. Dans, MD, MSc
UP College of Medicine
UHC or Universal Health Care is very important and helpful especially for the poor, since it makes all the hospital care and acquiring medicine processes easier and streamlined, and also reaches out to the far out provinces. This system gives health care access and financial protection to everyone! That was what I understood.
There were census that showed that poorer people are more likely to smoke than wealthy people. In fact, in all of Asia, Philippines ranks one of the highest in terms of smoking prevalence!
There were also studies that prove that smoking addicts started from a young age! So it makes sense to make cigarette pricing prohibitive. Make kids and teens not afford cigarette anymore because of the higher tax.
A lot of health risks... yet why still smoke?
Did you know that even if tobacco is chewed (not smoked) as nganga, it can cause oral/throat cancer?
Mga Nagbabagang Kuwento Media Training and Fellowship Program
Reporting on Tobacco, Sin Tax, and the Smoke Free Environment
by Yas Mapua-Tan of Probe
It has been said that higher tobacco tax will affect our Pinoy farmers, but the group claims that it is far from the truth. During the dry season, they plant tobacco, while during the wet, rice. Also, government should propagate alternative livelihood and another utilization for tobacco aside from use for cigarettes.
Raise Tobacco Tax for Universal Health Care speakers, left to right: Dr. Antonio Dans, Jo-Ann L. Diosana, Yas Mapua-Tan, Kaloi Garcia.
Higher tobacco tax is not only for revenue (for use in government projects), but to shape behavior especially for health. For the benefit of us and our loved ones, there should come a change in the environment, so the default lifestyle is the healthy lifestyle!
Cigarette smoking has so many negative implication - diseases, deaths, economic. Now that we know relevant information, we can hopefully side with the good! #RaiseTobaccoTax4UHC Thanks for reading! :)
My mom runs a sari-sari store and sometimes I am the bantay. Little kids my age would be ordered by their parents to buy cigars and light 'em up too. I would also sometimes see my parents smoke when they would go to the toilet. But it was infrequent, my folks were not addicted to it.
Then when I worked as a medrep almost all of my teammates were smoking. Poor me and another non-smoker had to endure their disgusting puffs during meetings.
Now WHY did I not try smoking?
Well, aside from the fact that I know its numerous health hazards, I am kuripot and I am aware it has potential for causing addiction (sayang pera). But more so, it was because there was a massive Yosi Kadiri campaign with the horrible mascot (from DOH, I think) during my teen years. And the drive surely gave an impression that it is the vice of choice for tambays and other lowlifes. So there... it does not seem appealing to me.
New slogan Buwis Para sa Buhay Raise Tobacco Tax for UHC
But we cannot blame the older era because during their formative years, cigars were being marketed as glamorous. They see it everywhere, in movies, commercials, etc.
Earlier this year, I met an elderly woman during a marriage encounter. She has been in and out of the hospital, nearly died, because of her smoking several packs. And guess what? I had to sorta not breathe while talking to her as she was still puffing a cigar. Her addiction was that much.
Last November 29, 2018, I attended Smoke Free Philippines' Raise Tobacco Tax Bloggers Party held at 55 Events Place in Quezon City.
The following are but a few of the useful slides from the event. We indeed learned a lot and it was an eye opener...
A video was shown of Stanley Chi interviewing Solita 'Mareng Winnie' Monsod.
SmokeFreePH is an NGO, a coalition of groups that is dedicated to reducing tobacco harm on Filipinos. It has been around for 10-11 years, and has had its fair share of many victories.
Power of Video Testimonials
by Carlos 'Kaloi' P. Garcia, Communication Manager of Vital Strategies
Sin Taxes in the Philippines (Its Features, Impact and Potential)
by Jo-Ann L. Diosana of Action for Economic Reforms (AER)
Tobacco Tax and You
by Antonio L. Dans, MD, MSc
UP College of Medicine
UHC or Universal Health Care is very important and helpful especially for the poor, since it makes all the hospital care and acquiring medicine processes easier and streamlined, and also reaches out to the far out provinces. This system gives health care access and financial protection to everyone! That was what I understood.
There were census that showed that poorer people are more likely to smoke than wealthy people. In fact, in all of Asia, Philippines ranks one of the highest in terms of smoking prevalence!
There were also studies that prove that smoking addicts started from a young age! So it makes sense to make cigarette pricing prohibitive. Make kids and teens not afford cigarette anymore because of the higher tax.
A lot of health risks... yet why still smoke?
They showed which politician had been helpful with the advocacy, and concerned with the health of the citizenry. Salute to Sen. Manny Pacquiao!
Mga Nagbabagang Kuwento Media Training and Fellowship Program
Reporting on Tobacco, Sin Tax, and the Smoke Free Environment
by Yas Mapua-Tan of Probe
It has been said that higher tobacco tax will affect our Pinoy farmers, but the group claims that it is far from the truth. During the dry season, they plant tobacco, while during the wet, rice. Also, government should propagate alternative livelihood and another utilization for tobacco aside from use for cigarettes.
Raise Tobacco Tax for Universal Health Care speakers, left to right: Dr. Antonio Dans, Jo-Ann L. Diosana, Yas Mapua-Tan, Kaloi Garcia.
Higher tobacco tax is not only for revenue (for use in government projects), but to shape behavior especially for health. For the benefit of us and our loved ones, there should come a change in the environment, so the default lifestyle is the healthy lifestyle!
Cigarette smoking has so many negative implication - diseases, deaths, economic. Now that we know relevant information, we can hopefully side with the good! #RaiseTobaccoTax4UHC Thanks for reading! :)
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