The Dumaguete City government is urging smokers to join the free smoking cessation clinic organized by the City Health Office, in line with the implementation of the smoke-free ordinance on September 1, a government press release said.

City Administrator William Ablong said the clinic was established to help Negrenses who want to quit smoking. However, the clinic and the cessation program are in place but nobody has signed up so far, he said.

The smoke-free ordinance declares public areas, including transportation and government-owned facilities around Dumaguete City as off-limits to smoking. Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria has also issued a memorandum circular that bans smoking in city government-owned buildings and their premises, the press release also said.

Ablong said 100 personnel from the 30 barangays and police have been deputized to enforce the ordinance after completing the trainings. Of the number, 20 are smokers.

City Health Officer Ma. Sarah Talla said they will invite the smokers in the enforcement group to form the first batch of clients of the cessation clinic.

She said the number of tobacco-related respiratory diseases like bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and pneumonia, both due to firsthand and secondhand smoking, have been on the rise in Dumaguete.

Talla added that the nebulizers at their clinic have been overused as more children suffer from asthma, and they include those from families with no medical history of the lung disorder, the press release added.*

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