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UAAP athletes say “Time’s Up, Tobacco!” to warn youth about smoking harms
January 18, 2015
Death by smoking now a global epidemic
February 12, 2015

Time’s up, tobacco! UAAP athletes join the campaign against smoking

Published by hj on January 30, 2015
Categories
  • Technical Support and Capacity Building
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If you think smoking is cool, you better think again.

Studies show that nine out of 10 adult smokers today started as teens or younger. Tobacco companies intentionally target children as young as 13, because once hooked they could be their steady customers for years.

But not all teens are falling for this marketing ploy because they know that smoking is not healthy. “Today, the youth should realize that smoking is becoming really unfashionable. It’s not something you look up to.. Open your eyes to the dangers that it creates,” said student-athlete Arnold Van Opstal of the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers basketball team.

(From left) ARNOLD VAN OPSTAL, EJ LAURE, DAWN OCHEA, JAYSEN CRUZ, and IVAN VILLANUEVA

Arnold is just one of the many athletes of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) supporting the campaign against smoking. The athletes are featured in the “Time’s Up, Tobacco!” video to remind teenagers that there is nothing cool about getting diseases and dying young. The video was done as a response to an online petition aimed to safeguard the youth from deceptive cigarette advertising that packaged smoking as fun and cool.

EJ Laure of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) volleyball team said, “First of all, the youth should not smoke at all because we all know that smoking can kill you.”

Nico Elorde of the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Blue Eagles basketball team also recounted his personal experience with the harms of smoking when his grandfather died of lung cancer. Teammate Von Pessumal said, “Cigarette companies are very smart, they know what they’re doing. So they know that if they target younger people they’re going to have much more money.”

(From left) IVAN VILLANUEVA, MONICA PADILLA, JR GALLARZA, MORIAH GINGERICH, and MIKEE REYES

The tobacco companies’ deceptive advertisements and marketing tactics is what pushed Arvin Maceda, a 21-year-old student from University of the Philippines (UP) Manila, to start an online petition at Change.org calling on UAAP athletes to raise awareness against youth-targeted campaigns of tobacco companies.

Over 7,300 people signed the online petition which was cited by Change.org in its “Best of 2014” list. The other UAAP athletes who joined the campaign are: Mikee Reyes of UP, EJ Laure of UST, Ryan Monteclaro of Adamson University (AU), Ivan Villanueva of AU, Monica Padilla of UP, Jaysen Cruz of UP, and Patrick Sahol of UP, all of who are now at the forefront of cautioning teenagers against the harmful effects of smoking. Other athletes like Moriah Gingerich and Joseph Rey Gallarza of the UP Fighting Maroons sent pictures of themselves doing the “Time’s Up, Tobacco!” hand sign.

(From left) MIKEE REYES, NICO ELORDE, PATRICK SAHOL, RYAN MONTECLARO, and VON PESSUMAL

tobaccoSome notable supporters of the petition include Dr. Anthony Leachon, president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) and Outstanding Filipino Awardee in Medicine (TOFIL), and Dr. Maria Minerva P. Calimag, president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).

Ako Bicol Party List Representative Rodel Batocabe signed and posted a comment on the petition, “It’s important that these youth who are revered as role models by our Filipino youth, do their own part in the social welfare of the country, starting by making a stand against smoking.” Rep. Batocabe forms part of the “Bicol bloc” of legislators who proposed that graphic health warnings cover 85 percent of cigarette packs.

The petition is part of a public movement initiated by Health Justice Philippines that seeks to make tobacco companies accountable for the harmful effects of their products on both smokers and non-smokers.

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HealthJustice is a public health think tank that aims to bridge the gap between health and law to empower Filipinos to make healthy choices. The founding members of HealthJustice include doctors, lawyers, and economists who have been recognized for their services in both the private and public sector.

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HealthJustice is a public health think tank that aims to bridge the gap between health and law to empower Filipinos to make healthy choices. The founding members of HealthJustice include doctors, lawyers, and economists who have been recognized for their services in both the private and public sector.

Our Partners

  • World Health Organization
  • Department of Health
  • Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance
  • Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
  • Global Center for Good Governance
  • NCD Alliance

Contact Us

  • Room 106-B Philippine Social Science Center
    Commonwealth Avenue Diliman, Quezon City
  • (+632) 8709 7503
  • info@healthjustice.ph
  • healthjustice.ph@gmail.com

Follow Us

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