No smoking ban violators caught so far in Cebu: police

THERE were no reports of any arrests of violators in Cebu City or in Metro Cebu of the nationwide public smoking ban that took effect last Sunday.

Chief Insp. Ramocello Sawan, Cebu City police deputy chief for operations, said not a single person in the city was arrested for violating Executive Order 26 or the nationwide public smoking ban.

“Maybe, this implementation is just a warning and way of disseminating information to the public, since some people are not aware on this,” he said in Cebuano.

Sawan denied rumors that a call center agent was fined P500 at the I.T. Park in Barangay Lahug for smoking in a non-designated area.

He said their city police office will designate smoking areas for smokers along with other public offices.

The ban on smoking in non-designated areas merely enhanced existing directives against smoking in public places issued by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Civil Service Commission, regional DOH Director Jaime Bernadas said.

Dr. Bernadas said while they wait for the implementing rules and regulations on the public smoking ban, they intensified their campaign against smoking.

“Purely advocacy on our side, campaign on avoiding the habit of smoking and awareness on its health hazards as well as second hand smoking,” Bernadas said.

He said the smoking ban also extends to electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes since some of it contains nicotine and chemicals that harm one’s health.

The ban especially applies to selling cigarettes to minors, Bernadas said. Bernadas said their office is collaborating with local governments and the

police to create a task force that would crack down on violators.