25 September 2008, ATN-A14
LEGAZPI CITY—WEARING A native Cuban hat, a now skinny and slouched Paquito Diaz unlikely resembles the stalwart villain he used to be in old Filipino movies.
For several decades, Diaz battled onscreen with action superstars like Joseph Estrada and Fernando Poe Jr.
But eventually, his real-life battle was his badly deteriorating health due to smoking.
In 2004, Diaz suffered a stroke and underwent major brain surgery. For his faster recovery, his wife Nena Soler-Diaz transferred him to her hometown in Daraga, Albay, where the actor now lives a healthy lifestyle.
“I brought him here for the fresh air. Here, he could take a walk whenever he wants to. But above all, he has quit smoking,” Soler-Diaz said.
The couple were present in the launching of Project Death Clock, a campaign pushing for the passing of a law requiring graphic warnings on cigarette packs to cut down tens of thousands of deaths and billions of pesos in public health spending caused by smoking-related diseases.
“Had he not quit smoking, he could now be playing cards with FPJ in the afterlife,” Soler-Diaz said in Bicol, eliciting laughs from the audience.
Legazpi and Naga unveiled their own “death clocks” on Wednesday, a campaign which accumulates the number of tobacco-related deaths each day the Graphic Health Bill is not passed in the House of Representatives.
The Albay “death clock” on 16-feet-by-30-feet billboard stated 66,960 tobacco-related deaths since Dec. 20, 2007. The figures will change as 1,680 new deaths are added weekly.
Dr. Maricar Limpin of the Framework Convention on Alliance Philippines said 10 Filipinos were dying every hour due to tobacco use.
She said the tobacco industry only brought P92 billion worth of revenues but the government spent P276 billion in medical services addressing four of the most common smoking-related diseases.
Limpin said around 80 congressmen were now supporting the bill, which was authored by Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza. The bill aims to accurately depict “real-life debilitating diseases caused by tobacco smoking through strong warning messages in pictures.”
Limpin said a study by the Philippine College of Chest Physicians revealed that 96 percent of smokers admitted that picture-based warnings against smoking would most likely make them quit compared with text warnings. Of the 1,307 survey respondents, 41 percent said text health warnings had no effect or were not enough to make people quit smoking.
But what takes it so long for the bill to be passed is that it is still being deliberated upon and strongly opposed by the tobacco firms.
“Tobacco companies are using tactics to kill the bill by influencing members of the House of Representatives,” Limpin said.
“Many tobacco farmers are shifting to other crops because of the low-profitability of tobacco at P30 per kilo,” she said. “What will benefit tobacco farmers most is to impose increased taxation on tobacco products. We are supporting any bill that will push for that.”
Apo Gonzales, 48, of Legazpi, a smoker for 31 years, said graphic warnings might help lessen smoking-related deaths but it might not be enough to make him quit.
“What we need are support systems, like our friends, workmates and families. When we are able to reform basic institutions, like the family, it might be the time when ash trays will just become collector’s items,” Gonzales said. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
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