Cigarette Sales Prohibited in Schools

Retail sale of cigarettes or “yosi by tingi” should not be allowed in schools, said an official of the Catholic Church. Father Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY), said the ban on cigarette sale, especially its retail sale, should have been implemented a long time ago in schools for it exposes and encourages the youth to smoke. “This should have been done long ago. This should have been included in banning around schools practices and vices that exposes the youth to vulnerability,” Garganta said. Garganta said since cigarette sticks only cost around R2.50 each, any student can very well afford to buy it. Emer Rojas from the group of cancer survivors, New Vois Association Philippines (NVAP), also backed the priest’s proposal, convinced that this is one way to discourage the youth to smoke. “I’m sure a lot of vendors will complain if a ban is imposed, but that is a very good idea. In the US, cigarettes are being sold per pack not per piece. If you cannot afford to buy a pack of cigarette, then don’t smoke,” he said. Rojas, who started smoking at the age of 17, said his experience should serve as a lesson to the youth. “I was 44-years-old when I was diagnosed with cancer. I’m lucky despite the Stage 4 cancer of the larynx, I survived. That’s why I’m doing this (advocacy)…They say one-third of all cancers can be prevented just by merely stopping smoking,” said the NVAP founder and president.