SIX-MONTH DATA: Anti-smoking ordinance nets 3,000 violators

Local

MORE than 3,000 individuals have been caught smoking in public areas in Cebu City since the start of 2025, the Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (Ceset) said, as it called on the public to help report violations of the city’s anti-smoking ordinance.

During the MyTV Cebu's Open Line news forum on Tuesday, July 8, Ceset head Grace Luardo said 3,023 individuals were apprehended from January until June this year for smoking in non-designated areas.

She noted that last year, there were almost 6,000 apprehensions for the entire year, although she did not provide specific records.

Luardo appealed to the public to report individuals smoking in non-designated public areas, as part of efforts to strengthen the implementation of the city's Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance, or City Ordinance No. 2241.

“Citizens can report to our office those individuals who smoke in non-designated smoking areas,” Luardo said.

The ordinance, which Ceset is tasked to enforce, prohibits smoking in public spaces that are not clearly identified as designated smoking areas.

These include streets, sidewalks, terminals, offices, enclosed establishments, and other public areas.

Ceset has recently apprehended several individuals in violation of the ordinance, according to Luardo, who emphasized the importance of community participation in enforcing the law and promoting public health.

City Ordinance No. 2241, known as the Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance of the City of Cebu, was enacted in 2006 to regulate smoking in public places and protect residents from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

The ordinance prohibits smoking in all public areas unless explicitly declared as designated smoking zones.

These include government offices and buildings, public transportation terminals and vehicles, educational institutions, enclosed public spaces such as malls, restaurants, and bars, as well as sidewalks, overpasses, parks, and other open spaces that are not marked as smoking areas.

The ordinance also penalizes establishments that tolerate smoking within their premises or fail to display the required

“No Smoking” signage, with escalating fines and the potential suspension of business permits after repeated violations.

Luardo said that violators of other existing ordinances may settle their cases for a fee of P500.

However, she said, for violations of the anti-smoking ordinance, the settlement fee is higher, ranging from P2,000 to P2,500.

Meanwhile, those who fail to settle their violations will face higher penalties, ranging from P3,000 to P5,000.

She said this directive aligns with the instructions of newly elected Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, who has made it a priority to uphold cleanliness, discipline, and environmental responsibility in public spaces.

Luardo said Ceset is not only focused on curbing smoking violations but is also stepping up efforts to enforce other sanitation-related ordinances, particularly those against spitting and urinating in public.

She emphasized that these acts, though often overlooked, contribute to the deterioration of public spaces and reflect poorly on the city’s overall cleanliness and discipline.

Apprehended violators are urged to pay a P500 settlement fee, and failure to comply may result in imprisonment ranging from one to six months.(MyTVCebu)