Quit Smoking - 6,154 Smokers Warned by MMDA, P500 Fine Starting July 1, 2011

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(SPOT.ph) Nearly a month after the No-Smoking in Public Places Policy was implemented on May 30, over 6,154 smokers have been apprehended by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), reports Manila Bulletin. On July 1, when the ban is fully implemented, violators will be fined P500 or will render eight hours of community service.

The MMDA website features a tally of “smokers given warnings” and “anti-littering apprehensions.” According to the Health, Public Safety, and Environmental Protection Office, about 48,750 individuals have been caught throwing cigarette butts and candy wrappers, spitting, and urinating in public.

On their website, the MMDA has also listed places where smoking is banned, which includes public utility vehicles (PUV), transport terminals, tricycles, schools, hospitals, bars, restaurants, streets, and areas where food is being prepared. MMDA chair Francis Tolentino said that the agency will continue its campaign to educate the public on the anti-smoking drive and inform them about the associated health risks.

Quit Smoking - Harmful Effects of Smoking to Your Lungs (Video)

We hope you realize that when you quit smoking, no more cigarette can do you damage. In the video below, you can see how lungs are like sponges with millions of tiny air sacs for transferring oxygen. Every breath of tobacco smoke attacks those air sacs. If you're a smoker, you probably are suffering from shortness of breath. If you are wondering why and what that looks like inside your lungs, click and watch the video below.

Quit Smoking - Places Where You Can and You Can't Smoke

via Flickr (nataliesap)

via ABSCBN News

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started deploying environmental enforcers to warn, and eventually apprehend, violators of the smoking ban in public places.

But what constitutes a public place?

MMDA said it will monitor smokers in public utility vehicles, loading bays, bus terminals, airport terminals, train stations and ports, and along main thoroughfares.

This means that drivers caught smoking will be apprehended and reported to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Passengers caught smoking will also be warned and apprehended subsequently.

Environmental officers will also warn and apprehend smokers at loading bays and pedestrian lanes along intersections of main thoroughfares.

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 is more precise as to what can be considered a public place. The following are considered public places:

• Loading bays and pedestrian lanes along intersections of main thoroughfares
• Centers of youth activity such as playschools, preparatory schools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, youth hostels and recreational facilities for persons under eighteen (18) years old.
• Elevator and stairwells
• Location in which fire hazards are present, including gas stations and storage areas for flammable liquids, gas, explosives or combustible materials
• Within the buildings and premises of public and private hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries and laboratories.
• Public conveyance and public facilities including airport and ship terminals and train and bus stations, restaurant and conference halls, except for separate smoking areas
• Food preparation areas, including areas where food or beverage is actually being manufactured or prepared.

The IRR also dictates that in enclosed places open to the population, such as public and private workplaces and other areas not stated above (such as malls) owners, proprietors, operators, possessors, managers and administrators are required to establish smoking and non-smoking areas.

The smoking area shall be in an open space or in an area with proper ventilation and far from a non-smoking area.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino added that different local governments, which tied up with the agency to promote a 100% smoking free Metro Manila, have separate ordinances describing “public places.”

Quit Smoking - Blindness (Video)

You should quit smoking today because every cigarette is doing you damage. Chemicals from tobacco smoke get into your blood stream and damage the delicate blood vessels inside your eyes. We now know that smoking is a major cause of irreversible blindness. Click and watch the video below and see how much your eyesight means to you.

Quit Smoking - Doctors Urge PNoy to Stop Smoking

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via ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Participants to the Tobacco Control Summit 2011 organized by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) were one in their call for President Benigno Aquino III to stop smoking and lead the Philippines into becoming a tobacco-free country. 

FCAP board member Bobby del Rosario and and Dr. Rlorante Trinidad, technical officer of the 

World Health Organization's (WHO) Tobacco-Free Initiative, said although Aquino may have difficulty in stopping from smoking, he should at least declare that smoking is bad for one's health and support anti-smoking policies.

FCAP also called on the President to rid Filipinos of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke by enacting laws that will prevent smoking in public.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health are alarmed over the increasing number of smokers in the Philippines.

Despite tobacco control efforts in the country, 17.3 million Filipinos now smoke, and almost 2/3 of the adults and children are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.

Trinidad said tobacco use is rising in the country, as shown by the number of Filipinos aged 13-15 years old who are currently smoking, which increased to 22.7% from only 15.9% in 2003.

He said the trend is also noticeable among young girls. 

Tobacco kills 87,600 Filipinos per year, and 240 deaths are recorded every day, he said.

Trinidad added that 1/3 of them are men in the most productive age of their lives.

He said the increasing number of smokers is a consistent trend in developing countries like the Philippines, whose anti-smoking laws are not as strict as those in developed countries.

Quit Smoking - 6 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

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Deciding to quit smoking is a very brave and tough decision, as smoking is an addiction, so like any other addiction, will take a strong person to quit without problems. Quitting smoking takes a huge amount of willpower, so any tips or aids will be welcome.

Some of the top tips to help you quit smoking are:

1. Make a definite plan of action; fix the day you will start and inform everyone around you; family, friends, work colleagues.

Let them know your plans and get their help and support. They need to be aware of what you are about to go through and to expect mood swings and irritability at times. While you have to use strong willpower to quit smoking, you will also need the support and understanding of those closest to you.

2. Fill your cupboards at home and your desk, briefcase etc with healthy snack items, like nuts, grapes, cherries, cherry tomatoes, (any bite sized fruit is great, as easy to 'pop' into your mouth as candy, but any fruit is good too) oat cakes, cereal bars, carrots and celery. Gum or candy should be sugar-free, as you want to avoid weight gain where possible and prevent rotting your teeth! Keeping snacks at hand will make it easier when cravings hit, to take something else as a substitute.

3. Find a hobby or pastime you can do to keep your hands busy. Most smokers say apart from the addiction to nicotine, they find themselves reaching for cigarettes when they have idle hands; so keep those hands busy! At the workplace nowadays no one can smoke, so there's a start to your quit smoking plan, but in your leisure time or on breaks is where the fun begins! Anything which keeps your hands busy and your mind occupied will help immensely. Try a handheld video game, a manual dexterity puzzle, sketching, doodling, knitting, crossword puzzles, or writing, are good. Best of all, keep a diary or journal; writing each day about your trials and successes will not only keep your hands and mind busy, but keeping a record will give you something to refer to for encouragement.

4. Make yourself an exercise plan; whatever your fitness and usual routine allows, from a brisk walk morning and evening, to a full workout plan at the gym. Swimming and bike riding are good too; exercise releases endorphins which keep the heart healthy, reduce stress and anxiety, while generally helping with internal harmony. Those who already have a fitness routine should increase levels considerably when trying to quit smoking.

5. Remove all smoking related items from your home, car and workplace. Not only cigarettes, but lighters, ashtrays, anything which will make you think of smoking. Surround yourself instead with bowls of nuts, seeds and fruit, as well as your hobby items; puzzles, pen & paper, journal etc. When cravings hit, (and they will, frequently) take something to chew on and pick up whatever you need to keep hands and brain occupied.

6. Last, but by no means least; keep a glass of water at hand at all times. Instead of reaching for the cigarette on the ashtray, reach for the water glass and take sips. Water will not only keep you hydrated, but stave off nicotine cravings, while at the same time helping your stomach feel full, so you will be less likely to compensate with food.

These are the top tips to help you quit smoking, but there are obviously many other ideas, and especially devised plans to help you in this tough time. The best way to quit smoking is to find the right plan for you, which you will find easiest to follow and give you the best results. Good luck!

Quit Smoking - Stroke (Video)

Quit smoking today because every cigarette is doing you damage. Smoking creates blood clots which can cause stroke. Such clots kill, blind, paralyze without you even knowing about it. Check out the result of a minor stroke for a smoker by watching the video below. Yes, it's meant to be scary so you should decide to stop smoking today.

Quit Smoking - 10 Filipinos Die Every Hour Due to Smoking

By Sol Aragones, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Emer Rojas, 53, uses an electronic larynx whenever he has to speak.

It's been 9 years since he was first diagnosed with stage 4 laryngeal cancer.

He started smoking when he was just 17. Now, he regrets not being able to kick the habit.

"Mahirap. You have to exert effort. Kapag maingay, 'di ka na maintindihan. 'Di na rin ako nakakatawa dahil wala ng hangin," Rojas said.

According to Dr. Encarnita Limpin of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance, Philippines (FCAP), aside from cancer, smokers are prone to strokes and heart attacks.

"Kahit isang benepisyo walang makukuha sa sigarilyo dahil may 7,000 chemicals ito na nakakasama," said Limpin.

Experts said just one pull from a cigarette is already bad for your health.

Chemicals like nicotine will immediately be taken into the system through air passages, the lungs and veins.

Sickness begins when the substances spread and circulate throughout the body.

According to records of the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization, 10 Filipinos die every hour due to smoking. That's over 80,000 Filipinos every year.

This is why the DOH is pushing that graphic images of the negative effects of smoking be placed on cigarette packs.

The agency also wants to start a campaign to urge smokers to quit the habit.

Quit Smoking - Cold Turkey!

via Flicke (e3000)

Now you have decided to quit smoking today, don't waste your time by trying to cut down a little at a time, or even using substitutes like nicotine patches or gum - really what's the point? Quitting smoking 'cold turkey' is really the only way to achieve your goal.

Although it is not really the only way to quit, it is definitely the way that shows the best success rate. That is to say, the majority of people who have successfully quit did it by going cold turkey.

You will find people who did manage to quit using nicotine replacement therapy or NRT, but all they have really done is to prolong the process. NRTs will cut out many of the thousands of chemicals present in cigarette smoke, while still introducing nicotine to the system. So the body is going through two processes over a longer period of time. Quitting smoking cold turkey takes the nicotine and all the chemicals out of your body in a relatively short time. You may suffer some pretty uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, but will know that this will only last for the first few weeks: Using NRTs is just like substituting one drug for another, like a heroin addict using methadone to try to kick his habit.

Those who kick smoking through the use of NRTs really should be congratulated, as they have had to go through a much longer drawn-out process, which allows the nicotine addiction to control both the method and outcome.

It is really necessary to think of the quitting process as a new beginning; the start of a healthier lifestyle, rather than the end of something or the loss of a part of your life. Think positive and look forward to your new life with whiter teeth, fresher breath and clean smelling clothes, as well as a healthier body.

Quitting smoking cold turkey will be much easier if you attack it in the right frame of mind.

Did you know that nicotine is an organic-based alkaloid of the same family as cocaine, morphine, quinine and strychnine?!

A natural insecticide once sold in the US under the name Black Leaf 40 was actually nicotine! Pure nicotine could kill a human with just a few drops, making it more deadly than strychnine, arsenic, cyanide or rattlesnake venom.

Wow! And you want to pay money to put this into your system!

The 'high' experienced in smoking is from dopamine, the same chemical which produces the high from alcohol or heroin.

However experts claim that heroin produces a numb dopamine high, alcohol gives a drunken dopamine high, while the alert dopamine high from nicotine is the most likely to cause dependency.

So of course you are going to experience withdrawal symptoms while quitting smoking cold turkey, but there are aids and systems to help you deal with these symptoms and guide you through the ordeal more easily.

Quitting smoking cold turkey does not have to be a major battle; if you use the right system you should be able to quit smoking today without the need for substitutes of any kind.

Article Source

Quit Smoking - Artery Clogging (Video)

Every cigarette is doing you damage. Shown here is a part of the Aorta, the main artery of the heart. Check out how much sticky and fatty deposits are collected from a smoker. If this doesn't make you quit smoking, make sure to keep visiting this blog for more articles and videos to help you stop smoking today.

Quit Smoking - Smoking, Couch-Potato Lifestyles Boost Cancer Risks

via Flickr (Kaptain Kobold)

From ABS-CBN News:

PARIS - Two studies released on Wednesday highlighted the risks and benefits of lifestyle choices in combatting cancer, showing the dangers of smoking for post-menopausal women and exercise's protective effect on the bowel.

Post-menopausal women who smoke, or who used to smoke, face an up to 16% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have never smoked, according to a paper published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Women who have been extensively exposed to passive smoking, either as children or in adulthood, could also be at greater risk of breast cancer, it added.

However, this apparent risk does not apply to women who were only moderately exposed to second-hand smoke.

The study covered almost 80,000 US women aged between 50 and 79 who were followed for 10 years.

In a separate investigation published in the British Journal of Cancer, people with an active lifestyle were found to be up to three times less likely to develop large bowel growths, known as polyps, which are often a precursor for cancer.

The conclusion is based on an overview of 20 published studies.

"We've long known that an active lifestyle can protect against bowel cancer, but this study is the first to look at all the available evidence and show that a reduction in bowel polyps is the most likely explanation for this," said lead author Kathleen Wolin of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Exercise has many benefits, including boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation in the bowel and helping to reduce insulin levels -- all factors which we know are likely to have an effect on bowel polyp risk."

Half an hour's "moderate" exercise per day -- anything that leads to a slight shortage of breath -- and maintaining a reasonable weight are keys to reducing the risk of bowel cancer, said Cancer Research UK, which publishes the journal.

To quit smoking is definitely a wise choice. Associate more pleasure in quitting smoking and enjoying a healthy lifestyle than in smoking. Decide today!