Text by Jennifer Manongdo
Photos by Ehcel Hurna
Representatives of member organizations of Sin Tax Coalition pose for a photo after signing a petition urging the government to declare September as Alcohol Awareness Month. In the photo are (from left) Diana Rose de Silva, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations; Dr. Rafael Henry Legaspi, Philippine Addiction Specialists Society at the UP-PGH, Dr. Maria Asuncion Silvestre, Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina; Dinna Dayao, Move as One Coalition, and Alyannah Lagasca, Youth for Mental Health Coalition.
The Sin Tax Coalition launched a signature campaign urging the government to declare September as Alcohol Awareness Month.
“We need stronger and sustained enforcement of the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013, including random breath testing, to reduce road deaths and injuries resulting from drunk driving,” Dinna Louise C. Dayao from the Move as One coalition emphasized during a conference on Sept. 26, 2024, in Quezon City.
An average of 10 people die in the Philippines daily due to road crashes, three of which are alcohol-related, the Global Burden of Disease Study published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said.
During the panel discussion, Dr. Maria Asuncion Silvestre, a maternal and newborn health expert from the UP-PGH, revealed the catastrophic effects of alcohol on the brain development of children and babies, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Dr. Rafael Henry Legaspi from the Philippine Addiction Specialists Society discussed the dangers of alcohol consumption among those with a genetic predisposition to certain heart diseases. Meanwhile, Diana Rose de Silva from the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations shared a poignant story about a relative who fell off a barge while intoxicated, underscoring the real-life consequences of alcohol abuse.
The Sin Tax Coalition called on the government to increase alcohol taxes to bring down consumption and reduce associated harms. At the same time, the group urged the DOH to release its Alcohol Control Strategy to curb drinking practices in the country.
Rodley Carza, Director III of the Department of Health (DOH) – Health Promotion Bureau, expressed the full support of the DOH on the proposed bill.
AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Florence Reyes has filed House Bill No. 10881 that seeks to declare September of every year as “National Alcohol Harms Awareness Month,” with September 30 as “National Harms Awareness Day.”
“While alcohol sales may boost government revenue in the short term, the broader economic picture is far bleaker. The financial and social costs of alcohol-related harm far exceed any benefits from alcohol taxes,” he said. “The strain on healthcare, the loss of productivity, and the damage to families present a clear case for change.”
AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Florence Reyes
Not Good for the Heart
“Alcohol is not good for the heart. The idea that moderate alcohol consumption is protective against heart disease is based on flawed studies,” said Prof. David Jernigan, from Boston University School of Public Health during a conference titled, “Debunking Alcohol Myths: A Discussion on the Evidence of Alcohol Harms” organized by The Sin Tax Coalition and UP National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Health Promotion Program (HPP) on September 24, 2024, in Quezon City.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer had earlier classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen – the highest risk group along with tobacco, asbestos, and radiation. Over 200 diseases and injury conditions in the body are related to alcohol. These include cirrhosis, fibrosis, liver cancer, alcohol-associated hepatitis, reduced bone density, and colorectal cancer, among others. The risk of developing these diseases increases substantially with more alcohol intake and binge drinking is dangerous, the experts noted.
The event gathered a host of clinical practitioners seeking to challenge the narrative portrayed by the alcohol industry and reveal the harms of consuming alcohol. Participants noted how the alcohol industry creates a perception that drinking is widespread and normal to attract more young people and encourage them to develop the habit.
“It’s time we put up a united campaign against the consumption of alcohol,” Dr. Jernigan emphasized.
Prof. David Jernigan of Boston University School of Public Health
Following the opening message delivered by Filomeno Sta. Ana III, Executive Director of Action for Economic Reforms, Dr. Alberto “JR” Ong, from the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians, gave a presentation on the Perceptions of Health Professionals regarding alcohol followed by Jacqui Drope, Director of Vital Strategies’ RESET Alcohol Program who discussed how evidence can influence clinical practice and policy.
Those who joined the panel and shared their insights on the misconceptions about alcohol are Dr. Tim Naimi, professor and director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at University of Victoria; Dr. Rafael Henry Legaspi, Addiction and Recovery Medicine specialist at the UP-PGH; Dr. Rodney Jimenez, president of the Philippine Heart Association; and Dr. Karen De Lunas, treasurer of the Hepatology Society of the Philippines.
Dr. Hector Santos, president of the Philippine Medical Association, and Dr. Katherine Ann Reyes, program lead of the UPM-NIH Health Promotion Program, delivered their closing messages.
While culture seems to encourage the local drinking habit, Carza emphasized that “culture can be changed” and expressed optimism that Filipinos may be able to adopt healthier habits with combined efforts from the government and concerned organizations.#
