Anti-Smoking Sponsors in Tobacco War

After a string of setbacks, anti-smoking advocates scored a victory, albeit a small one, when a Las Pinas regional trial court denied a petition of the Philippine Tobacco Institute to stop the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration from enforcing any form of regulation or supervision on tobacco products.

“This is indeed victory for the country! It’s high time public welfare is prioritized over the profit of an industry that ultimately kills its consumers,” Metro Manila Development Authority General Manager Cora Jimenez told the Manila Standard Monday.

The MMDA’s smoke-free campaign in public places along Metro Manila’s major and secondary roads was stopped by a Mandaluyong City RTC after granting the petition of two security guards nabbed by MMDA enforcers for smoking in a public place last September.

“Imagine how detrimental it will be for Filipinos if the petition of the tobacco industry was granted. The industry wants a government committee where it sits as a member to regulate tobacco products–this is not only ironic, but worse, puts the whole nation’s health at risk.” UN Global Cancer Ambassador Emer Rojas said, who also founded a tobacco control advocacy group of cancer victims.

The case filed by PTI argued the authority and jurisdiction of FDA to regulate tobacco products.

The petition said that based on Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco has exclusive authority to implement RA 9211, which includes regulation.

The FDA and DoH responded petitioned the court that cigarette falls under their authority because of its impact on health.

“Finally, a victory for health! We eagerly await the actions of DoH and FDA on some violations of the tobacco industry including sale of cigarettes whose packs are without picture warnings,” lawyer Ipat Luna of Health Justice Philippines said.

High Taxes Less Smokers in Canada

High taxes on tobacco products have reduced the number of Pall Mall cigarette smokers in Canada. According to a study by economists at the Concordia University in Montreal, between 1998 to 2008, for every 10 percent hike in cigarette tax, the number of Canadians who lit up went down by 2.3 percent.

However, one group appears to be least affected by higher taxes on cigarettes. These are people in the age group 25 to 44. According to Sunday Azagba, the author of the study, these middle-aged smokers are not responsive to tax increases on tobacco products.

The younger age group of 12 to 24 are more sensitive to price increases caused by tax hike on cigarettes because majority of them are dependent on their allowance to finance their habit. However, majority of the middle-aged group are employed and at the peak of their earning capacity.

The study also found that the propensity to smoke was higher among Canadians who had only high school education compared with those who have post-secondary education.

Tax increases on cigarettes caused a carton of cigarette to have a price tag of $33.35 in 2008 in Ontario from $12.65 in 1998. The amount factored out inflation based on constant 2000 dollars. The increase was lesser in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where cigarettes sold at an average of mid-$40 in 2008 from $30 in 1998 per carton.