The Metro Manila smoking ban is on! And based on the number of arrests, MMDA enforcers aren't afraid to wage war against people strolling along sidewalks and main thoroughfares with lit cigarettes in hand. Last July 1 for instance, authorities caught over 8,900 smokers puffing away on streets, public areas, public transports and terminals. Luckily, they were all let go with just a warning. But those who will be caught on following days won't be as fortunate.
As procedure, violators are required to give their name, address, contact number, and signature to MMDA officers. The officers will then write on a ticket and the date when the violators must report to the MMDA office in Makati City. Summons will be served to violators if they fail to report to the MMDA. Based on Republic Act 9211 (The Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003), violators will be slapped with a P500 to P10,000 fine for first offenders. If you're caught and your moolah just isn't enough to pay-off your fine, you'll be sentenced to an average of eight hours doing community service. From the looks of it, we're guessing the MMDA will make you pick-up cigarette butts around Edsa.
E-CIGARETTES
The Metrowide ban on tobacco has caused some smokers to depend on e-cigarettes to get their daily fix of nicotine. For those unaware, an e-cigarette (short for electronic cigarette) is a mechanical, smokeless device that simulates smoking a real cigarette. It's loaded with luquid nicotine but eliminates the tar and other harmful chemicals in yosi from the equation. Basically, these high-tech yosi sticks burn the liquid nicotine inside and turns it into water vapor, which simulates the smoke you get from real yosi sticks. And since, these babies are electronic. The e-cigs are rechargable and refillable. To know more about these battery-powered vices, here are facts about that you need to know:
FACTS:
- You won't get arrested for smoking e-cigarettes in public
According to an MMDA information officer, "Ang mga hinuhuli lang namin ay yung mga gumagamit ng tobacco mismo. Yung e-cigarretes kasi hindi siya harmful sa environment kasi water vapor lang siya." Still in doubt? Call their 24/7 hotline.
- You can smoke it inside airconditioned malls
Surprisingly, mall operators and security guards are also lax about e-cig smokers since the smoke it lets out has no offensive smell to it since unlike real cigars that burn. This one emit water vapor.
- Puffing rechargable yosi does nothing for you
In a CNN report based on a study by Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, which was funded by the federal National Cancer Institute, “Ten puffs from either of these electronic cigarettes with a 16 mg nicotine cartridge delivered little to no nicotine.” That means e-cigarettes don't deliver anything. As it turns out, the effect is really all in the mind.
- It has a poisonous substance present inside
Diethylene Glycol is an anti freeze component that is toxic to human that when ingested or absorbed in the bloodstream can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Some may develop early neurological symptoms like altered mental status, central nervous system depression, coma and mild hypotension.
- A cancer-causing chemical is present in e-cigs
Nitrosamines is an element that is found in e-cig. A cancer causing element also present in tobaccos. But unlike yosi which makes you vulnerable to the chemical everytime you puff it. E-cigs get you exposed to this dreaded element only when your rechargable yosi breaks in half.
- Not effective as quit-smoking tool
Dr. Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines during a World Health Organization convention that, "The problem with sisha and e-cigarettes is that they are being flavored to cover the (taste of nicotine). So you would think that there's no nicotine in them until you develop addiction. That's false advertising."
See the gallery below for types of e-cigarette...
SOURCE Philippine Star