Despite pressure from anti-smoking groups, the incoming president of the Philippines refuses to give up his daily pack of Marlboros. As Benigno Aquino III puts it, smoking is “one of the few remaining freedoms” left for him as he prepares for his new role. Aquino even goes so far as to hint that his quitting might be bad for the country, as it “might affect my decisions.”
According to The New York Times, much of the outcry against Mr. Aquino’s smoking stems from the role it could play in encouraging new smokers. One critic, Dr. Maricar Limpin of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, insists, “it is important that young ones will not see their idol as somebody who smokes.” But there are logistical concerns too. Smoking in government buildings is illegal in the Phillipines. According to Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, “It will be hard to maintain security for him if he decides to smoke 10 meters away from a government building.”