Smoking Ban in Public Schools and Offices: Yahoo to the Pips of CSC who drafted this Circular

Smoking ban is finally taking shape. Or is it another attempt of the government at it? With the numerous orders and circulars not being strictly observed about how a government employee should conduct himself, this one ought not to be one of them. This is a matter of health and death. I wonder if anybody had taken notice of it.

Just take my city as an example. Littering and smoking are not allowed in public transports even a small tricycle but unless the passenger voices out any complain on this, some drivers would still keep at it. Personally, I try to avoid a ride that has a driver smoking. Sometimes, I would rather wait for another one than get into a death ride.

Now here are the things that every citizen should do, if ever put in a situation of having someone smoke in a public place.

1. Be aware that every citizen has a right to clean air. If you think somebody is trespassing that right, move on to no.2.
2. Be polite and inform/remind them that it is prohibited to smoke in that area. Do not be embarrass to do so. Keep in mind that your little embarrassment will have irreversible damages to your health. Sometimes, the offender will actually feel ashamed about it. Which is better than them getting angry about it. Remember, be polite. ;)
3. Let them know where the smoking area is.
4. And lastly, be polite and thank them for their consideration (even though you might be seething in anger at times).

In a public transportation specially the trics in my city.

Practically every legally franchised trics running in the city has these red or green stickers, with the Mayor's photo in it, that shows the penalties on littering and smoking in public utility vehicles. This one is really my favorite. Why? A few years ago, back in the late 90's, this city ordinance was virtually unknown specially to the drivers. This one almost came along almost at the same time with the anti- littering campaign but I guess it's too much for the public to care about at that time. Littering was more of the target back in those ages. I've read about this ordinance in one of the City's newsletter but no one actually follow, much know about it. It just one of those ordinances that rot in the filing cabinets of the government. So every time I bring it up to anybody I come across smoking in a PUV, I would be met with skepticism as if I am just making up a story or something to that effect.

Lo and behold! After a decade of that, I finally found my ally on the stickers placed right inside the tricycles. Now, I simply have to point to it to remind the erring citizen of that ordinance. Information dissemination is finally right in front of our face.

Fast forward to bigger picture. The enactment of the Clean Air Act brought some more attention to smoking in public places anew. But still, it seems that not a lot of people specially from the executive government, know how to put this into effect even in a minute way in their own offices. The country's Civil Service Commission finally did something lately with their Circular. I would love to know more about this one and perhaps another sticker campaign will do the trick again? Beware, though, with the ubiquitous photos of officials who puts their faces as big as the information that they are trying to convey. I am treading another territory now. I'll leave it at that. Here's the newspaper article about the CSC Smoking ban lifted from the Philippine Star.