Too Busy to Blog

Being formal in Kobe, Japan

Having Fun in Palawan

Tobacco and illegal drugs have kept me busy past six weeks that’s why I did not have time to update my three blogs. Nope, I did not use those substances, on the contrary, I involved myself in a series of workshops to prevent and control tobacco and illegal drugs, which took me to Kobe, Japan and Puerto Princesa, Palawan, among other places.

In Kobe, I attended the Regional Workshop on Monitoring Secondhand Smoke Exposure conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In the next months, I will be a part of a cross-country study measuring secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in nine (9) East and Southeast Asia, namely: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The study will measure SHS in selected public places such as government offices, hospitals, secondary schools; restaurants and entertainment venues. Air nicotine and particulate matter (PM2.5) will be measured in key locations in each place. In conjunction with the collection and analysis of the data, a dissemination strategy will be implemented to distribute messages to media outlets and others to generate attention on the need for strong smoke-free legislation.

In Palawan, I facilitated the Health Promotion Implementation Review and Planning workshop for the Dangerous Drugs Prevention and Treatment Program of the Department of Health. This gauged where we are now and what we will do next in promoting drug abuse prevention.

Anyway, I’m not complaining with the additional workload that will keep me tremendously busy in the days and weeks ahead. I just hope I will not have to sacrifice doing my blogs.