Cebu City dad pushes bid to create Smoke-Free Task Force

In order to for the executive order (EO) of President Rodrigo Duterte on smoke-free environment to be fully implemented, a task force overseeing this should be created said a Cebu City official.

Councilor Raymond Garcia said he saw the need to create a task force that would carry out the provisions of EO No. 26 of the president or otherwise known as the executive order “providing for the establishment of smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places”.

He said that under the Section 9 of EO 26, it enjoins all cities and municipalities to form a local Smoke-Free Task Force to help carry out the provisions of the said executive order.

“Whereas to date, Cebu City has yet to form a Smoke-free Task Force pursuant to the executive order,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he believed that people would start taking the EO seriously once there would be a body that would focus on implementing it.

Thus, Garcia passed a resolution encouraging Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to consider forming a Smoke-Free Task Force.

“The main goal of the executive order is to minimize access, particularly of minors, to tobacco products and to provide for a more supportive environment for those who are attempting to quit tobacco use,” Garcia said.

The councilor said that through access restriction, including the regulation of sales, distribution and availability, The Smoke-Free Task Force could help people who wanted to quit smoking.

Once the Smoke Free Task Force is created, Garcia said that the mayor or his duly authorized representative will sit as task force chairperson with the city administrator as his co-chairman. The city legal officer will function as the mayor’s vice-chairperson.

Task force members will include among others the head of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the heads of the City Health Department, Office of the Building Official, City Treasurer’s Office and the City Engineer’s Office.