New York and Manila, Philippines – World Lung Foundation (WLF) and the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development–Metro Manila (CHDâ€MM) launch a visually-vivid new mass media campaign on how secondâ€hand smoke harms nonâ€smokers. The nationwide campaign, called “Say No To Secondâ€Hand Smoke,” airs nationwide on TV in Tagalog until the end of August.
The “Say No to Secondâ€Hand Smoke” featuring a wife and her children inhaling second-hand smoke from the husband/father in a public restaurant underwent rigorous focus group testing in the country and aims to inform Filipinos about the serious impact tobacco has on those who are exposed to passive smoke in public places.
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The campaign is funded by WLF to support a project by CHDâ€MM and DoH to make Metroâ€Manila 100% smokeâ€free. A recent survey conducted by WLF and CHDâ€MM showed that 74% of people in Metro Manila are exposed to secondâ€hand smoke at least once per week.
Secretary Francisco T. Duque III of the Department of Health, says: “Our government is committed to reducing the toll of tobacco and creating awareness about the hazards of its use among smokers as well as nonâ€smokers. This campaign uses a scientific approach to developing and delivering a clear message that secondâ€hand smoke kills nonâ€smokers.”
"An alarming number of people in Metro Manila are exposed to secondâ€hand smoke every day and the only way to make sure they are protected is to make all public places smokeâ€free with no exceptions,” adds Peter Baldini, chief executive officer, World Lung Foundation
Research has shown that mass media campaigns are one of the most effective means to encourage people to stop smoking. It is one of the World Health Organization’s Mâ€Pâ€Oâ€Wâ€Eâ€R (W=Warn) strategies to reduce tobacco consumption. MPOWER strategies are endorsed and promoted by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, of which World Lung Foundation is a principal partner and CHDâ€MM is a grantee.
