Bookmarkers beware: Bookmarks to pages other than the home page may not work after we change our server in April Editor's Choice | This Week in BMJ | Press releases BMJ No 7130 Volume 316 News Saturday 14 February 1998 Philippines passes antismoking laws Antismoking laws passed last week in the Philippines after a five year struggle are "too little, too late" to stub out the country's addiction to cigarettes, health officials have warned. The country's new legislation leaves Cambodia as the only country in the Western Pacific region still without any antismoking law. Once ratified by the president, Fidel Ramos, the new bill will outlaw all advertising of cigarettes in print and broadcast media within four years, ban smoking in public, and punish those who sell cigarettes to children. It will also provide money to reimburse Filipino tobacco farmers, who currently produce 70 billion cigarettes a year. Maximum punishments for violators will be a prison term of six years or a fine of 100,000 pesos (£1540; $2500). These seemingly strict measures, however, have already attracted strong criticism from prominent antismoking campaigners in a country where 73% of adults and 56% of children are regular smokers. Dr Daniel Tan of the University of the East in Manila, who consulted with the senate health committee on the bill, said: "It has no teeth because some crucial Congressmen forced us to compromise to appease their tobacco growing constituents. For a start I'm very disappointed that we must wait for four years before the advertising ban begins. Even after the four year period is up, the wording of the bill means the tobacco companies will still be able to promote their non-tobacco merchandise, such as holidays and clothes." Dr Tan doubts that the government will have the political will to enforce the more difficult aspects of the bill - such as establishing no-smoking areas in public places. And he has particular doubts about the section that makes it illegal to sell cigarettes to children - because most cigarette sellers in the country are themselves poor youngsters, who wander the streets selling tobacco and sweets to passing motorists. Claire Wallerstein Manila Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline