C1
SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017
Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
GREEK DOCTOR WANTS PH TO REGULATE E-CIGARETTES
A
S THE government intensifies its collection of cigarette taxes in the Philippines, a Greek visitor in Manila reminds authorities that saving millions of Filipino smokers from premature death is a campaign that deserves a greater attention.
“Smoking is an epidemic worldwide. We have over 1.1 billion smokers in the world, or about 23 percent of the adult population. The World Health Organization predicts that within the 21st Century alone, we are going to have 1 billion premature deaths due to smoking. In the Philippines, the smoking prevalence is about 20 percent. Of these 20 million smokers, 10 million of them are going to die prematurely by smoking-related diseases. The average life expectancy of a smoker is 10 years less than a non-smoker. It is a huge cost in lives and in economy,” says Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a researcher at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens and University of Paltras in Paltras, Greece. Farsalinos, a former smoker, says millions of Filipino smokers have an opportunity to quit the vice by switching to a less harmful product— electronic cigarette. He considers vaping or the use of e-cigarette as a harm reduction tool, because it is 95-percent less harmful than the traditional burning of cigarettes. He says, however, that vaping should never be endorsed to non-smokers and minors and should be promoted only to smokers as a tool to help them quit smoking. Farsalinos explains that it is not nicotine that is responsible for diseases related to smoking, but the burning process of cigarettes. “We know for more than 40 years, or since 1976, that people smoke for nicotine, but die from the tar. Tar is the combustion product from burning of material. Nicotine itself has not killed any smoker. All the diseases caused by smoking are not caused by nicotine present in the smoke, but by the combustion product, the burning of the cigarette tip at more than 800 degree Celsius that creates a lot of toxins consequently inhaled by the smoker,” he says in an interview at Holiday Inn Hotel in Makati City. Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette, a batteryoperated device which vaporizes a flavored liquid made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine and flavorings. A cigarette industry executive in the Philippines, however, says vaping does not give the same satisfaction as smoking. He predicts that smoking will continue to thrive in the coming years. Farsalinos, who has done 50 scientific studies on electronic cigarettes, says while WHO does not support the use of e-cigarettes, individual countries such as the Philippines should develop regulations on the growing vaping sector. “WHO is making a big mistake,” says Farsalino, referring to the organization’s quit-or-die approach. “Worldwide, six million people die every year prematurely because of smoking. That is going to go up to 10 million per year by 2025. Any delay is costing lives. With 1.1 billion smokers, we have a lot of deaths per year. We don’t have time to wait for 20 or 30 years. We are going to lose one generation of smokers,” he says. Farsalinos says while the best solution remain a complete stop to smoking or smoking cessation medication, e-cigarettes proved to be most successful in making a large number of smokers quit the vice. “E-cigarettes help smokers quit,” says Fersalinos, citing the results of a May 2016 study by Action on Smoking and Health UK.
SISTERS FIND NEW SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PATH Scan this icon to view the PDF
VAPER.
Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos of Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens, Greece He says that a 2014 study in the European Union shows that 6.1 million Europeans quit smoking and another 9.2 million reduced consumption of cigarettes after they had tried e-cigarettes. This means that 67.3 percent of Europeans who had tried e-cigarettes either quit or reduced smoking. “In Europe, there were about 9 million established regular users in 2014. I am sure that number now is much higher. But the biggest market is the US,” he says. He says in Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia are two countries with large population of e-cigarette users. “Here in the Philippines and Malaysia, they created the industry by themselves, the local people. They are not imported products. They are products made locally. Many entrepreneurs got engaged into that, and that’s how it grew here. The regulation should be done in such a way that vaping will be promoted to smokers only. That’s why we need rules,” he says. “I am seeing that over the years, WHO is changing its position. But it is going on slowly,” he says. “We have a lot of data. There are more than 1,000 studies. I myself have done 50 studies on
Source: http://www.lazada.com.ph
e-cigarettes.” “I am a former smoker who has tried every smoking cessation medication in the past. I have tried gums, I have tried oral smoking cessation, I have tried psychological therapy. I managed to Turn to C2
AIRASIA LAUNCHES WEB SERIES AIRASIA, voted the world’s best low cost carrier for eight consecutive years by Skytrax, formally launched a six-part web series featuring some of Asia’s bestkept attractions, rich cultural heritage and inside stories about people and the airline that broke travel norms and made flying possible for everyone across Asia and beyond. “Red Talks with Daphne,” is hosted by award-winning TV host and producer Daphne Oseña-Paez. She takes viewers to different places and talks about traveling, flying, helping and inspiring communities.
Sisters Ma. Theresa Jimenez (left) and Hazel Santos (right) remind their employees that they have what it takes to perform well and succeed.
New episode of Red Talks with Daphne is shown on AirAsia Philippines’ Facebook page every other Saturday at 7 p.m. Red Talks with Daphne was made possible by the AirAsia Foundation, the AA BIG Loyalty Program, Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta, Flower Island Resort Palawan and Jewelmer. AirAsia BIG Loyalty Program makes it even easier and faster to fly. AirAsia’s award-winning loyalty program, AirAsia Big Loyalty, allows members to earn AirAsia Big Points to redeem free AirAsia flights, hotel stays and more.
TV host and producer Daphne Oseña-Paez (center) with AirAsia director of flight operations Capt. Gomer Monrea (right) and a flight attendant
Success runs in the family. This illustrates the newfound fulfillment of Ma. Theresa Jimenez and Hazel Santos after investing in a dream franchise business that perfectly served as an alternative career, as well as a rewarding endeavor that feeds their passion for food, family and quick service. Prior to becoming 7-Eleven franchisees, the siblings run a 21-yearold family business, Eat Graphics Advertising which caters to the advertising needs of fast-food chains. Ma. Theresa is the owner/president while Hazel acts as general manager and HR manager. Professionally, the former is a Computer Management major and the latter is a registered nurse. Currently, they have two 7-Eleven stores, the first store in Tikling, Taytay, Rizal and the second in C. Lawis in Antipolo City. The idea of owning a C-store came while the two were having their snacks at their neighborhood 7-Eleven store. Both avid fans of Slurpee since childhood, Ma.Theresa says their common love for food and convenience inspired them to pursue their goal. “We love to eat. It is our undying passion for food and convenience that helped us in the transition. We want our food served easy, fast and of course, tasty. And we just want the same for everybody,” Hazel says. Both sisters were excited and impressed about the opportunity, as they knew they would follow through with their dream of becoming franchisees. “We chose 7-Eleven over other franchising businesses because we think highly of the 7-Eleven Franchise System. We admire what 7-Eleven has accomplished for the past years and we are confident in what it can still do in the coming years. It is also a major player in the retail [convenience stores] industry because it has made its service very convenient, accessible and affordable to its customers. It is the go-to place for all customer needs,” says Ma. Theresa. What makes the 7-Eleven f r anch is e p a ck age a wor t hy investment, according to her, is that it is backed by a powerful brand, a strong long-term support system from the franchisor and a profit sharing/distribution that is very promising for the franchisee. The 7-Eleven franchise package includes a one-month classroom training. Upon completion, Ma. Theresa, Hazel and their teams were fully ready when they opened their stores recently. The sisters also especially value the way their common C-store passion has brought their family together. “Not only do our customers benefit from the C-store. Both of us get to have more family time. We also get to meet each other often, sharing updates and consulting each other about our stores’ progress. We discuss and come up with a game plan that would address and even eradicate any issue and concern,” she says. “My p ar t nership wit h my family enhances my strengths and cancels my weaknesses not just as a leader in the business but also as a person. They are my constant supply of encouragement and wisdom especially in making crucial decisions. They see my blind spots; thus, we are able to identify problems and provide solutions to improve and grow the business. Their maturity helps me run the business more efficiently,” says Ma. Theresa. Both sisters see the positive in the stores’ challenging but very promising growing phase. “In time, with continuous training and application of best practices, we believe we will be able to handle these challenges more effectively,” says Ma. Theresa.