By Minerva BC Newman CEBU CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas launched its “Smoking Ban Drive” as part of the celebration of National No Smoking Month in the coordination with the local governments in the region to raise public awareness on the ill effects of smoking. DOH Region 7 (DOH-7) Information Officer Ligaya Moneva said the smoking ban drive is in accordance to Executive Order-26 that provides for the Establishments of Smoke-Free Environments in Public and Enclosed Places, issued by President Duterte on May 16, 2017. Moneva is happy to say that LGUs are compliant with the law. She said that the covered smoking areas, particularly at the bus stations and waiting sheds should be prohibited. “It’s useless. They are providing smoking areas which have a roof and a wall, the tendency is for the smoke to stay in that area that will cause harm to anyone that will go in there,” she said. Moneva noted that posting of “Smoke-free Area” cards to public places will help lessen the illnesses acquired both by the smokers and the second-hand smokers. She said there were 240 deaths daily due to smoking both by cigarettes and vapes. She clarified that using vapes are still harmful. In fact, it tripled the harm that a cigarette can give to a smoker. Some young people see vaping as an art, but it is still harmful and dangerous because vaping exposed a user to toxic levels of nicotine that may cause addiction, she said. (With a report from Larnie L. Bacalando/PIT Intern)