Balanga city mayor attends 9th global program on tobacco control

Speaking before local news men here in a rare press conference at his office, Garcia reported that among the 109 delegates from different countries, he was the only Filipino who joined the 9th Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program sponsored by the Bloomberg Philanthropies last June 7-22, 2014.

This comprehensive two-week, in-depth leadership program is focused on building capacity to develop effective tobacco control policy and interventions.

The program takes place for two weeks each summer in Baltimore, MD. The program course sessions focus on a myriad of tobacco topics including: policy development; advocacy; communications; intervention planning; implementation and evaluation; and management and leadership. Faculty for the program is comprised of internationally renowned experts in tobacco control policy, communications, research, advocacy, and surveillance.

Acceptance into the Leadership Program is by nomination only from one of the Bloomberg Partner Organizations such as Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, World Health Organization -Tobacco Free Initiative, and World Lung Foundation.

Garcia said the course tackled the present global situation of tobacco abuse and its impact on the general health of the public and what the public and private sectors can do to minimize if not totally prevent it from being a “global epidemic.”

“I have learned there that smoking is an epidemic. Since 1964 to the present almost 20 million people die of smoke- related diseases,” Garcia narrated.

Bloomberg Philanthropies reported that every year, millions of people around the world die from preventable causes such as tobacco use, road traffic crashes, and limited access to emergency obstetric care, continue to jeopardize the health and well-being of much of the world’s population, despite proven solutions to prevent them.

In the Philippines alone, the World Health Organization reported that 10 persons die from lung cancer and other tobacco addiction-related sicknesses.

“What I have learned in the said course will be disseminated among the 144 cities in our country and we will also urge them to have their own anti-smoking ordinance,” he said.

Balanga City is a hall of famer of the Department of Health’s Red Orchid Award, an award given to local government units and public offices for the effective implementation of the no smoking policy.