Stop Smoking For The Sake Of Your Family-Samaco By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Mayor Maloney Samaco who quits smoking, admonished smokers in the city and in other municipalities to stop smoking cigarettes for the sake of their respective families since the second hand smoke will also badly affect the members of their families. The Mayor uttered his advice following the Sponge launch Campaign held at the SPs session hall during the recent Friday. This sponge launch campaign will also be initiated in other Maasin barangays and in other LGUs. An illustrative ads from the World Lung Foundation showing a smoker inhaling the cigars smoke that went down to the lungs and gradually soaking up its tar until full. The squeezing hard of the sponge (symbolizing the lungs) by a health worker followed and extracting the tar which filled the glass. Leticia Tan, DOH representative explained to the attendees composed of municipal doctors, health workers and some trimediamen that the demonstrative ads showed the true condition of the smokers Lungs if they dont stop smoking cigarettes now. Dr. Franceliza Tan of the Rural Health Unit-One who has spent 4 years explaining to people the Ill-effects of smoking cigarettes disclosed that majority of smokers would find it difficult to stop if they already become addict. In a survey conducted by students of ST.Scholastica College in the cities of Maasin,Ormoc and Tacloban,Tan informed, it was found out that smokers would only stop if they are already sick. What are the bad effects of cigarettes smoking? Dr. Tan mentioned 16 types of cancer including lung cancer, chronic bronchities, and emphysema.Tobacco is addictive and toxic to your body and it can kill you, she stressed. Quoting medical findings the doctor continued, saying Every time you smoke cigarettes you are taking 5 to 20 minutes of your life. Cigarettes also contain thousands of chemicals including carbon monoxide and nicotine which cause addiction to smokers, she confided. The 4PS beneficiaries in the city were discouraged also by the doctor to smoke. Those who smoke were advised to stop to qualify as 4Ps recipients. She also discouraged OFWs to bring packs of cigarettes as gifts to their friends and relatives. But to give food and other gifts instead that are beneficial to the receivers. she said. Engr. Florita Santiago for DOST intimated that as a smoker for 30 years the illness that afflicted her were insomnia, vertigo and cough.

What urge me to quit smoking was my minor children, she said.Every time I consulted a doctor I was always told to stop smoking. Santiago revealed that she decided to quit smoking when she started taking smoking cessation tablets for 3 months 2 times daily. The moral support from my friends and family have greatly helped me to quit smoking, she added. Melchor Gerong of DepEd, Maasin City Division, a chain smoker, narrated the story how he quitted in a humorous way to the grinning and laughter of the audience. He confessed that he would not be eating food from 3 to 4 days if necessary.I will not feel hungry. Im always be in focus with what Im doing, he said.Just a coffee in the morning and cigarettes will do. Gerong confided that it was only when he was hospitalized that he listened to the advice of his attending physician to quit smoking. But the most important things that finally prodded him to stop smoking, he said, was not his wife but his son and daughter.What will be the future l of my children when Im gone? This question has served him as his source of re-awakening to the responsibility that he ought to do as the father, for the sake of their future, he said. Now Gerongs health has greatly improved and is doing well as one of the teachers in the MCD, investing in education for his two children. Furthermore, the World Lung Foundation reminded the smokers with great concern.Smokers lunges are like sponges that soak up cancer-producing tar. Quit smoking because smoking is really dangerous to your health, the Department of Health has cautioned. Take heed! After the launching participants were treated to a lunch at Supercha 1 Restaurant and Catering Services Tel. no.(053)570). (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)