DOH urges MTRCB: Ban smoking in TV shows, films

MANILA, Philippines - To protect the youth from the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial has urged the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban scenes showing actors and actresses smoking in television programs and movies.

The Department of Health (DOH), according to Ubial, is coordinating with the MTRCB to prohibit scenes in motion pictures that depict smoking, which could entice the youth to do the same.

“We are calling on the MTRCB not to allow these scenes... Years ago, this was done on bottle-feeding, as part of our breastfeeding advocacies,” she told reporters.

Ubial said that even promotional posters or photographs depicting smoking should be banned.

Citing the 2015 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, Ubial noted that the overall current tobacco usage among Filipino students of age group 13-15 years increased to 16 percent from 13.7 percent in 2011.

Ubial said the DOH had estimated that some P188 billion is spent annually by the public and private health sectors to treat those who are ill of tobacco-related diseases.

She pointed out that the health sector gets only around P85 billion from sin taxes.