CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Like most people, we already know that smoking is bad for our health. But we don’t really

understand just how dangerous smoking really is. Especially to some students in college at

Cavite State University they are free to use cigarette because they are in their legal age. Some of

their parents didn’t notice that their children are using cigarette and some of them doesn’t care at

all. Smoking gives high ratings with the students nowadays and this problem benefits a major

impact with regards to the health of this young individual. Smoking may give them satisfaction

but the mere fact is the negative results to their body as they grow older. The effect of smoking

do not only affect to those students who use cigarette but also to those people that surrounds

them or what we called the second hand smokers.

Researchers choose to study this topic in order to know the perception of the students with

regards to smoking. We want to know how high is the rate of the student who chooses to smoke

and their smoking capacity. Choosing this kind of problem is a big opportunity to let us

personally know the insights of every student about smoking.

Studying this kind of problem gives information to us how this smoking gives a high

impact to the community. It will able to help us know the perception of every young individual

why they choose to use cigarette even if they already know those negative results might

happened to them. Gathering information about the perception of the students in smoking help

we to know their reasons why they choose to engage in this kind of activity or habit. It helps to

know how much they cost just to aid their needs in using cigarettes. Studying this problem able

us to know how wide is the awareness of these students with regards to smoking issues.

1
Statement of the Problem

The researchers wanted to conduct the study to be able to know the views and opinion of

each users. This study determined the factors of smoking among college students of Cavite State

University- Imus, This Study answered the following:

1. Why do students use cigarette?

2. What are the effects of using cigarette? In terms of:

 Mental;
 Physical;
 Emotional;
 Social;
 Economical?
3. How to convince students to stop using cigarette?

Objective of the Study

The aim of this research was to investigate the smoking habits of students, who are studying

at Cavite State University –Imus year 2018 and to investigate whether there is a difference in

smoking habits of students from different level and courses.

1. To measure the daily smoking of students.

2. To know the perceptions of the students in smoking.

3. To inform the effects and to reduce the use of cigarettes especially to college students.

4. To know the factor why do college students smoke?

2
Times and place of the Study

The researchers conducted their study at Cavite State University- Imus campus started on

March up to April 2018.

Significance of the Study

This research is important and beneficial to the following:
Students. This study will make them aware of the effects to the second hand smoke and causes
why some are smoking at the early age.
Teachers. Encourage the students to stop using cigarettes but to turn their attention to sports
games for developmental physique and academic.
Parents. This study helps to make parents aware of and pay attention to their children using
cigarettes. They are a guide to avoid smoking.
Future Researchers. This study may give them ideas in conceptualizing their own research
problem.

Scope and limitation

The study covers only 40 students in different courses and levels of Cavite State University

Imus Campus. The researchers should interview only specific questions especially those students

that uses cigarettes. The study determines what are the "Perception of CVSU- Imus Students

About Smoking”. The reasons why do students use cigarettes and how to help students to quit

from using it.

3
Definition of Terms

Students. a person who is studying at a school or college

Cigarette. a visible suspension of carbon or other particles in air, typically one emitted from a

burning substance.

Smoke. a thin cylinder of finely cut tobacco rolled in paper for smoking.

Second hand Smoke. a smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked by others.

Vape. inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device

4
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The review of related literature for this study focuses more on the harmful effects, smoking

addiction, smoking policy and quitting from using cigarettes. The review includes the local

studies. We believe that the following articles are very much related to the research problem;

thus providing other possible additional effects of the smoking to the behaviour of the target

respondents: CVSU students.

Smoking Harms Your Brain As Well As Your Body

According to Jenny, it leads to sharp decline in mental ability, warns study smoking is

known to be highly damaging to physical health, being a major factor in cancer and heart

disease. Now, however, its alarming effects on the mental well-being of millions of smokers

have been outlined by British scientists.

Lighting up regularly has been associated with a sharp decline in the performance of the

brain, according to their study. They found that middle-aged smokers performed less well on

tests compared with those without the tobacco habit.

The project examined memory, planning and overall mental ability after four and eight years.

The tests included asking people to learn new words or name as many animals as they could in

minute.

Researchers concluded that smoking ‘consistently’ reduced all three performance measures

after four years. They also found that high blood pressure and being overweight took their toll of

5
brainpower – but not as much as smoking. The team warned that people need to be aware of the

impact on their health of lifestyle choices, like smoking.

How Does Cigarette Smoke Affect The Body?

Many toxic chemicals used to make cigarettes are released into the surrounding air when the

cigarette burns. When you smoke a cigarette, you inhale nicotine as well as more than 400

chemicals being burned. Among these chemicals are mercury, lead, and arsenic, which are

known cancer-causing agents. Other lethal ingredients in cigarette smoke include ammonia,

acetone, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is an addictive component that reaches

the brain within 10 seconds of an inhalation. Nicotine works like cocaine or heroin by activating

the portions of the brain that control the feelings of pleasure, including the release of dopamine.

Because the effect is short-lived, the person craves another cigarette.

You either smoke or you don’t. Some students smoke occasionally but do not consider

themselves smokers. Some students only smoke when they go out or study for exams, consider

that even occasional nicotine use causes pairing in the brain. Once your brain starts pairing up

events like studying with smoking or partying with smoking, it becomes harder to do one without

the other. An estimated 50% of occasional smokers will go on to smoke full-time for 6-10 years.

6
Smoking and Addiction

The biological factors involved in smoking relate to how the brain responds to nicotine.

When a person smokes, a dose of nicotine reaches the brain within about ten seconds. At first,

nicotine improves mood and concentration, decreases anger and stress, relaxes muscles and

reduces appetite. Regular doses of nicotine lead to changes in the brain, which then lead to

nicotine withdrawal symptoms when the supply of nicotine decreases. Smoking temporarily

reduces these withdrawal symptoms and can therefore reinforce the habit. This cycle is how most

smokers become nicotine dependent. Social and psychological factors also play a part in keeping

smokers smoking. Although many students experiment with cigarettes, other factors influence

whether someone will go on to become a regular smoker. These include having friends or

relatives who smoke and their parents' attitude to smoking. As young people become adults, they

are more likely to smoke if they misuse alcohol or drugs or live in poverty. These factors make it

more likely that someone will encounter stress. Most adults say that they smoke because of habit

or routine and/or because it helps them relax and cope with stress.

No-Smoking Policy May Present Challenges

According to Janet Portman most states have some sort of "smokers' rights" law, which may

simply prohibit employers from making decisions based on whether an employee or applicant

smokes cigarettes. Some laws protect only public sector workers; others limit the types of

industries that may impose smoking-related bans or rules. But some states take a different

approach, prohibiting employers from making employment decisions based on "lawful activities"

away from work. Your applicant has raised an argument that speaks to an approach like this.

7
Legal recreational activities, outside work premises and hours and without the use of the

employer's tools or property, may simply be off-limits to employers when they make

employment decisions. Let’s assume that, in our state, no statute prohibits an employer from

using an employee's off-site smoking as a reason to make negative employment decisions. This

raises a practical issue for us: If we intend to check our employees' adherence to our no-smoking

policy by having them take tests (specifically, a urine test to spot nicotine), our employee might

challenge our policy as a violation on his right to privacy. Our applicant's attempt to describe

himself as "disabled" by virtue of his nicotine addiction is not a likely winner. Courts have

consistently rejected that argument — prisoners, for example, who challenged restrictive prison

rules regarding smoking have not been successful.

For example, there's nothing wrong with offering financial rewards to those who quit, or for

setting higher medical insurance co-pays for smokers. And if you find employees who clearly

and obviously smell of smoke while at work, which interferes with the experience you want your

tenants to have with management, that would justify a warning and, if necessary, a termination.

Should People Who Can't Quit Smoking Switch to E-Cigarettes?

Switching to e-cigarettes won't solve all the health problems smokers’ face. For example, e-

cigarettes are still addictive, and studies suggest that they may be bad for heart health. But

compared with traditional tobacco cigarettes which, in addition to nicotine, are full of tar and

other toxins e-cigarettes could be a less-risky option, a new study suggests. The researchers

calculated how two possible scenarios of cigarette and e-cigarette use one positive scenario and

one negative scenario could impact public health if who smoked cigarettes switched to e-

cigarettes over the next years. The researchers noted that the study had several limitations. For

8
example, the models are based on smoking uptake and quitting rates through 2012, but they do

not account for the recent growth in e-cigarette use. In addition, the models included only

cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and excluded other tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco,

according to the study.

The positive and negative scenarios were based on a status-quo rate up to 2012 of smokers

either quit smoking altogether or switch to vaping. In the study's "positive" model, the

researchers assumed that more people stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes and that the current

scientific understanding that vape aren't quite as bad as cigarettes holds true. In that optimistic

model, the researchers found that 6.6 million premature deaths could be avoided in the U.S.,

according to the study, which was published in the journal Tobacco Control. Though one of the

study authors has worked with both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, two manufacturers of

smoking-cessation medications, this particular study was funded by the National Institutes of

Health and did not receive any industry money, according to a statement. In the study's

"negative" model, the researchers assumed that fewer people gave up smoking than are doing so

under the current rate and that the health risks of e-cigarettes turned out to be worse.

Than scientists' current understanding. In this case, only 1.6 million premature deaths were

avoided. The findings support a policy strategy that encourages replacing cigarette smoking with

vaping to yield important life-year gains, compared with cigarette smoking, lead researcher

David Levy, and an oncologist at Georgetown University Medical Center, said in a statement. In

other words, switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes could extend the lives of smokers,

compared with if they were to continue smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. In addition to

living longer than they would if they continued smoking tobacco cigarettes, those who switched

9
to e-cigarettes might see other health benefits, "including reduced disease disability to smokers,

reduced pain and suffering, and reduced exposure to second hand smoke," Levy said.

Financial, Physical and Social Costs of Smoking

The cost of smoking cigarettes is not only a daily financial cost, it can lead to higher costs

for health and life insurance, high health care costs due to smoking-related diseases, and exposes

your loved ones to the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke that have negative impacts on their

health.

Financial Costs

Smoking can be expensive, for some, finances may be a motivation to quit. Let’s say that we

spend approximately P60 per pack of cigarettes as an average in here in the Philippines; if I

smoke around 2 packs a day, I’m spending almost P3600 a month! (That’s P120/day multiplied

by 30days in one month). That’s a car payment, airplane ticket, box seats at a Seahawks game;

ultimately, it’s more money in your bank, if you aren’t spending it on cigarettes.

As a smoker, you are also charged higher rates for health and life insurance policies.

Smokers are considered higher risk candidates for these types of insurance because of the

increased risks of serious chronic illnesses, and the increased medical costs throughout our

lifespan.

10
Physical and Social Costs

The cost of cigarettes is not only a financial burden, your health, the health of others, and the

health of society is also affected. Second hand smoke (SHS), affects everyone around you; it can

be harmful to loved ones, co-workers, and your community. A common misconception is that

second hand smoke is not as harmful as directly smoking a cigarette, in reality; second hand

smoke can be just as dangerous as mainstream smoke. Second hand smoke, also known as

environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of two types of smoke that come from a

cigarette:

Mainstream: Mainstream smoke is inhaled directly by the smoker from the cigarette Side-

stream: Side-stream smoke is the smoke that escapes from the lit end of the cigarette; this smoke

contains a higher concentration of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) than mainstream. These

carcinogens are also smaller particles than in mainstream smoke so they make their way into

lungs more easily. Side-stream smoke makes up 85% of the ETS in a smoky room, making it the

bulk of the smoke that non-smokers encounter.

Second hand Smoke (SHS) is classified to be a “known human carcinogen” by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the US

National Toxicology Program. SHS has been linked to lung cancer, childhood leukaemia, and

cancers of the larynx, pharynx, brain, bladder, rectum, stomach, and breasts. SHS has also been

related to other illnesses and deaths. Each year, in the U.S. alone, SHS is responsible for:

approximately 46,000 deaths from heart disease in people who did not smoke, about 3,400 lung

cancer deaths in non-smoking adults, up to 1 million children with worsened or new asthma

problems, and between 150,000 and 300,000 lung and bronchus infections in children under the

11
age of 18. SHS is also responsible for over $10 billion dollars of extra medical care costs due to

SHS related illnesses and deaths.

Psychological Effects of Smoking

In large part, the psychological effects of smoking are directly linked to how nicotine

physically affects the brain. Early cigarette use can cause improvement in reaction and

processing times because nicotine is a psychomotor stimulant. Even though this improved skill

does not last long, smokers notice it enough to continue to claim the enhancement from

cigarettes.

Smokers also claim that cigarettes are mood enhancing or have a calming effect. There is

research that shows smoking may indeed have a calming, rather than stimulating, effect

depending on the amount of nicotine in the bloodstream. In fact, it has been shown that smokers

alter the way they smoke (for example, longer or shorter puffs) to achieve the desired effect.

It has also been shown that the impression of mood change can be due to short-term nicotine

withdrawal. Such withdrawal can be happen any time a smoker goes without cigarettes longer

than they are used to, such as when they sleep. Thus, the first cigarette of the day stops the

withdrawal symptoms, thereby causing the smoker to feel calmer.

The feelings of euphoria and calm coupled with the perceptions of performance

enhancement are at the root of psychological addiction to cigarettes. When a person tries to quit

smoking, the physical addiction is usually overcome within fourteen days. However, the

psychological desire for cigarettes can last for years, and is especially prevalent in situations

where reaching for a cigarette was previously the normal reaction. This is because smokers often

12
see cigarettes as a cure-all. When under stress, inhalation of nicotine would enable the smoker to

feel calm. When tired, cigarettes would act as a stimulant to wake the smoker up. When a smoker

was bored, they would light up a cigarette as well. This attitude that smoking fixes everything

makes times of mental distress very difficult on the person trying to quit.

In addition, these people are faced with attempting to do things without the ritual of lighting

up. Human beings like rituals and order. Our brains are wired in such a manner that we tend to

do things in the same way all the time. When a step of that process is removed, people tend to get

confused and have difficulty performing the task. When a smoker quits smoking, this problem

occurs every time they try to do something where they would have normally lit a cigarette, from

getting ready in the morning to winding down at night.

Because of the combined effect of these psychological factors, smokers who try to quit often

find that even after they have overcome the physical addiction they still need help. Many people

turn to acupuncture, hypnotherapy, or support groups for assistance in dealing with the

psychological dependency for cigarettes that could very well plague them for life.

13
 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study is to determine the perception about smoking among the students

of Cavite State University- Imus Campus in terms of mental, physical, emotional, social and

financial. This chapter aims to present and discuss the research design, the respondents of the

study, research instrument, data gathering procedure, and statistical treatment that will followed

by the researchers in pursuit of the study.

Research Design

Expressive study was used as the design of this research. The researchers prepared a

survey questionnaire that consists of 10 questions concerning the perception of Cavite State

University- Imus Campus students about smoking. More specifically it addressed the research

question; what are the effects of using cigarette? In terms of mental, physical, emotional, social

and financial.

Respondents of the Study

The respondent of this study was limited to the Cavite State University- Imus Campus

students randomly in different level and courses. The purpose of this study is to know their views

and opinions about their perception of smoking cigarette and if it is beneficial to them or not.

The purpose of this study is to determine why they use cigarette and how to convince the

respondents to stop using it.

14
Research instrument

For this study, the survey questionnaire instrument were used to achieve the main

objective of the study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the students of Cavite

State University – Imus campus. The questionnaire given to the student aimed to assess the

habits of the students in using cigarettes and how does it affects their health and lifestyle in terms

of mental, physical, emotional, social and financial. The questionnaire structured in such a way

that respondents will be able to answer it easily and requires full of honesty.

Data gathering procedure

This study utilized first hand data which comes from the chosen respondents who ans. the

survey-questionnaires given to them. First hand data are those that come from the respondents

who have been surveyed. Prior to the research. The data also utilized secondary data. Secondary

data include raw data from the internet and diff. sites that concerning the topic of this study as

well as both quantitative and qualitative data.

Statistical treatment
The formula used to interpret the researcher will employ the following statistical
treatment using the Percentage. This will employ to determine the frequency counts and
percentage distribution of personal related variables of the respondents.
Formula: % = F x 100
N

% is the Percentage
F is the frequency
N is the total no. of respondents
100 is the constant value

15
 Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendation

This part presents the summary of the findings, so conclusions drawn from the findings
and the corresponding recommendations. This study was taken with the general objective of
determining the perception of Cavite State University- Imus Campus in terms of physical,
emotional, social and financial.

Summary of Findings

1. Reasons why students smoke cigarettes

Majority reasons of the students why they smoke cigarette is that smoking helps them to

relax. 45%of the respondents says that they found smoking pleasurable, same percentage with the

students saying they enjoy the taste of the cigarettes and only 10% of the respondents says they

like the image of being a smoker. But not all of the respondents uses cigarettes. 27.5% of them

says they don’t like the taste and smell of the cigarettes. 27.5% say they were concerned about the

effect of smoking to their health, 7.5% says they don’t like the image of being a smoker and they

don’t see them self as a smoker and only 5% say they could not afford to buy cigarettes.

2. Age of the respondents

The highest respondents who started using cigarette are those ages 17-19 years old with

the percentage of 35% out of the 40 respondents. 10% ages 20 years old and above, 20% of the

respondents are 14-16 years old and only 10% of the respondents tried cigarette in their younger

years. 32.5% of the respondents say they never smoke cigarettes.

3. Ages of the respondents when they became a regular smoker

Most of the students became a regular smoker when they are 16-19 years of age with the

percentage of 22.5%. While 32.5% of the students became regular smoker when they are 20-23

years old. 37.5% of the students say they never became a regular smoker.

16
4. Number of days the respondents smoke

14 out of 40 students with the percentage of 35% studying at Cavite State University –

Imus Campus smoke every day, 5% smokes twice a week, 35% smoke every other day and 7.5%

also of the students smoke trice a week.

5. Reasons of the students that pushes them to smoke

The highest reasons of the students that pushes them to smoke is stress garnering 50%.

Followed by anxiety with 20%, then members in their family are smokers with 5% and the lowest

is they were encourage to smoke by their friends with the percentage of 12.5%

6. Mental effect of smoking to the respondents

According to most of Cavite State University - Imus Campus students of the mental

effect of smoking to them is smoking helps them to relax.

7. Social effect of smoking to the respondents

The social effect of smoking to the respondents are having a hard time to interact with

people and having trouble in finding places where they can smoke.

8. Physical effect of smoking to the respondents

Majority of the respondents says that the physical effect of the smoking to them is

smoking causes them to lose their appetite.

9. Emotional effect of smoking to the respondents

Smoking helps them when they depressed is the emotional effect of smoking to the

respondents.

10. Financial effect of smoking to the respondents

Spending too much money for buying cigarettes is the financial effect of smoking to the

most of the students studying at Cavite State University - Imus Campus.

17
Conclusion

Based on the research that we have conducted, we the researchers conclude that some of

Cavite State University - Imus Campus students used cigarette as their habits. Majority of the

respondents that we have conducted started to use cigarettes when they are 17 to 19 years old.

They usually used it to keep them relax during their free time. Some of them uses cigarette

before and after the class. They also used cigarettes when they have a problem. While some of

the respondents says that it is for pleasurable feeling. Using cigarettes has different effects to the

students. It has mental, physical, emotional, social and financial. The physical effect to

respondents of using cigarette is, it loses their appetite. The emotional effect to them of using

cigarette, helps when they are depressed and the social effects are having a hard time to interact with

people and having trouble in finding places where they can smoke. Lastly, the financial effects of

smoking cigarette to the respondents is they spend too much money for buying cigarettes. According to

some respondents using cigarettes is part of their life. The perception of researchers, advantage of using

cigarette can help them to be able to relax and relieve their stress and the disadvantage is they really know

what are the side effects of using cigarette but they did not stop it because according to them it is their

daily routine. Self-awareness and proper lifestyle is the best way of Cavite State University – Imus

Campus students to control themselves in spending too much money for using cigarettes.

18
Recommendations

After conducting this study of knowing the results and findings derived from this study

we, the researches recommend that the student must know their limits in taking cigarettes. Yes, it

helps to relax and relieve stress but there are limitations. Because using cigarette can really

affects their health in terms of mental, physical, emotional, social and financial. It can also be

addictive. We recommend them to be aware especially to their health and have self-discipline for

them to have a long life because that is the best way to stop using cigarette if they knew what are

the side effects of using cigarette to their health and especially to environment. We also

recommend them instead of spending time of using cigarettes they can find different hobbies or

activities like sports, arts and exercise it can also help them to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid

mental, physical, emotional, social and financial problem just like the family and issues with

other people.

19
REFFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking

https://medlineplus.gov/smoking.html

http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/tobacco/reports-resources/sotc/by-the-numbers/10-worst-
diseases-smoking-causes.html

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10566.php

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/cigarette_smoking/article_em.htm

https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/91/16/1365/2543772

https://medlineplus.gov/smokingandyouth.html

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/smoking.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2733016/

https://www.livescience.com/topics/smoking

https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.list/tagNo/994/tags/cigarette-smoking/

https://dawngrant.com/collections/habit-changing-
products?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjK7W56z32gIVTY2PCh39qAtWEAAYASAAEgIqm_D_BwE

https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/smoking/

20