Comparing Tobacco and Alcohol Policies From a Health Systems Perspective: The Cases of the Philippines and Singapore

Abstract

Objective: To provide a comparative analysis of current tobacco and alcohol control laws and policies in the Philippines and SingaporeMethods: We used a public health law framework that incorporates a systems approach using a scorecard to assess the progress of the Philippines and Singapore in tobacco and alcohol control according to SDG indicators, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol. We collected data from the scientific literature and government documents.Results: Despite health system differences, both the Philippines (73.5) and Singapore (86.5) scored high for tobacco control, but both countries received weak and moderate scores for alcohol control: the Philippines (34) and Singapore (52.5). Both countries have policy avenues to reinforce restrictions on marketing, improve corporate social responsibility programs, protect policies from the influence of the industry, and reinforce tobacco cessation and preventive measures against alcohol harms.Conclusion: Using a health system-based scorecard for policy surveillance in alcohol and tobacco control helped set policy benchmarks, showed the gaps and opportunities in these two countries, and identified avenues for strengthening current policies.

Incidence, mortality and survival rates of lip, oral cavity and salivary glands cancers in Singapore: A half‐century time trend analysis (1968–2017)

“…11 Therefore, in Singapore, the combination of high taxes and import control on alcohol and tobacco products to reduce access and abuse, the banishing of electronic cigarettes utilization, the presence of religions where alcohol consumption is forbidden along with other practices that can induce loss of self-control, may explain the lower prevalence of oral cancer in the population compared to other countries. [12][13][14] Although the overall incidence oral cancer has decreased over time, males persist have higher incidence and mortality rates than women. This finding is not surprising, as smoking and binge drinking are usually more prevalent among males, and so is their co-occurrence.…”

“…Despite these genetic modifications, some decades after smoking cessation, for example, methylation can revert to the same levels of a never‐smoking person, gradually reducing the overall risk of cancer 11 . Therefore, in Singapore, the combination of high taxes and import control on alcohol and tobacco products to reduce access and abuse, the banishing of electronic cigarettes utilization, the presence of religions where alcohol consumption is forbidden along with other practices that can induce loss of self‐control, may explain the lower prevalence of oral cancer in the population compared to other countries 12–14 . Although the overall incidence oral cancer has decreased over time, males persist have higher incidence and mortality rates than women.…”

Addressing tobacco industry influence in tobacco-growing countries

“…The Philippine Tobacco Institute has filed suits against the Department of Health for their tobacco control efforts, leading civil society organizations to pursue a campaign to remove them from the Interagency Committee–Tobacco. 46 The situation with the National Commission for FCTC Implementation in Brazil presents a nuanced parallel. While the health sector leads the commission, the inclusion of the ministry of agribusiness in the thirteen-ministry coordinating mechanism poses challenges to tobacco control efforts.…”

Application of Conjoint Analysis and 5Ps Marketing Mix in Identifying Customer Preference of Alcohol Consumption among Youths in the Philippines

“…On the other hand, Gregorio et al [ 17 ] considered alcoholic beverages in the Philippines but focused on the baseline scientific information on volatile organic compounds. Amui and Etter [ 18 ] discussed the policies on tobacco and alcoholic beverages in the country’s health system. In other countries, it was seen that the behaviors of consumers shaped their consumption [ 19 ].…”