Cigarette smoking among High school students.

Background.
The history of tobacco smoking can be traced back to
early 5000 BC in the Americas in shamanistic based
rituals. The arrival of the Europeans in the 16th
century caused the consumption, cultivation, and
trading of tobacco to quickly spread. Tobacco
eventually reached Philippines in the later 16th
century during the Spanish colonization and soon became
popular and prominent in the Filipino culture.
“The Philippines has long suffered a reputation for
political corruption where collusion between state and
business was based on the exchange of political
donations for favorable economic policies. The tobacco
industry was able to limit the effectiveness of
proposed anti-tobacco legislation. A prominent
scientist publicly repudiated links between active and
passive smoking and disease. The placement of health
warning labels was negotiated to benefit the industry,
and the commercial environment allowed it to capitalise
on their marketing freedoms to the fullest potential.
Women, children, youth, and the poor have been
targeted”
“The Philippines (population 80 million) is the 15th
biggest consumer of cigarettes in the world5 and the
largest consumer among the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN).6 Some 54% of adult men and 11%
of adult women smoke7 with overall adult smoking
prevalence being the fourth highest among ASEAN
countries. Tobacco use among Filipino youth (18 years
or less) is high, with approximately 37% of young men
and 18% of young women smoking on at least a monthly
basis. There has been a 33% increase in the prevalence
of having ever smoked since 1995.8 Alarmingly, almost
one fifth of young Filipinos begin smoking before age
10.8 A 1999 government white paper on smoking
calculated that two Filipinos die every hour from
tobacco use.” (Alechnowicz K , Chapman S )
According to M Miguel-Baquilod, MD, Philippines Dept
of Health. (2005) “In both years, approximately four in
10 students in the Philippines reported ever smoking
cigarettes (i.e., even one or two puffs): 42.8% in 2000
and 41.9% in 2003. Adolescent boys were significantly
more likely than adolescent girls to have ever smoked.
Approximately one in eight students who had smoked
cigarettes reported smoking their first cigarette
before age 10 years: 12.9% in 2000 and 12.7% in 2003,
with no significant difference between adolescent boys
and girls”.
Smoking has found a way to anchor itself to the
Filipino culture and it is ever-present and widely
practiced , by some students even though it is an
offense to sell tobacco or 'non-tobacco smoking
products' (for example, herbal cigarettes) to a person
under 18 or to purchase tobacco products (or herbal
cigarettes) for a person under 18, under the Public
Health (Tobacco) Act 2008 (NSW)
Review of related Literature.
Tobacco Cigarette use of elementary secondary and
college students.
What student group and age group is susceptible to
smoking. Reason of participation in smoking. Quitting
of smoking.
Smoking. Illinois Department of Public Health(2008)
February 4 2021
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbsmoke.htm
Reasons People Smoke. Smokefree Veterans. Retrieved
February 4 2021
https://veterans.smokefree.gov/nicotine-
addiction/reasons-people-smoke
IDPH pointed out that Approximately 90 percent of all
smokers start before age 18; the average age for a new
smoker is 13. People with any college education are
more likely than those without any college education
both to try to quit smoking and to stay off cigarettes
for one or more years.

“Nicotine is the main addictive substance in cigarettes

and other forms of tobacco. Nicotine is a drug that
affects many parts of your body, including your brain.
Over time, your body and brain get used to having
nicotine in them. About 80–90% of people who smoke
regularly are addicted to nicotine” , Other than peer
pressure , stress , emotional conflict or PTSD ,
Smokefree Veterans stipulated that nicotine is the
prime reason of tobacco use as it for it’s very
addictive properties.

Smokefree veteran disagree with IDPH's Dr. John R

lumpkin , state Health Director. Lumpkin pointed out
that quitting smoking has immediate health effects like
being able to breath easier and normal pulse rate.
While Smokefree veterans stressed-out that withdrawal
symptoms will be experienced after quitting cigarette
smoking.

However both sources agree that smokers have tried

quitting more than two times before actually
succeeding.

This review was conducted to serve as a baseplate in

order to address the Cigarette smoking issue among
students.

Furthering more advanced research is needed to address

this problem fully at a large scale to scope not only
students but also adults who are accustomed to the use
of cigarettes and the government who profit from the
tobacco industry.

Statement of the problem.

The use of tobacco cigarettes in my community is

widespread and widely accepted. It is so accepted in
fact that even children younger than 10 years are
already smoking. Some of them are now delinquents and
having other vices like drinking , womanizing and
gambling. Others participate in gang events and
fraternities. However there are also others who are
depressed , having academic or emotional problems,
family problems or trauma. Of course there the ones
who smoke for pleasure or when in social situations .
Some were forced by peer pressure. Even though law
exist that prohibit the underage from cigarette
smoking, we still see minors buying them from local
stores and smoke.

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1 What influences cigarette smoking in students

2 Why minors who smoke are tolerated by their guardians

, elder or even the authority.

3 Where are the common places of smoking.

5 when or how frequent does an average highschool

student smoke tobacco in a span of a week.

4 how does smoking affect a student.

Scope and Delimitation:

A survey is to be conducted among the students of Roxas

City School for Philippine Craftsmen (RCSPC) .

For two days, with a duration somewhere within march

the team will hand out the survey questionnaire to a
target of 150 students. The team will hand out 25
survey questionnares to each grade level ranging from
grade 7 to grade 12. The students are randomly chosen
to avoid sampling bias among the results. They should
be voluntary and not be forced to cooperate.

The survey forms are preferably given personally to

each respondents but should the quarantine protocol be
strict , the survey is given online via email, Facebook
, Mail, Gmail , and any other electronic means such as
phonecalls or fax.

At the moment the respondent is finished answering and

is content, the questionnaires will be retrieved ( if
in person) or the data be retrieved , tabulated and
represented in graphs.

The respondent’s grade level should always be written

and is not optional but they may stay anonymous and
should be told beforehand by our team.

Significance of the study:

Cigarette smoking is rampant all around the world and

takes it’s toll on the health and well-being of its
consumer. Everyday we see people smoking and even
younger teens. We see them smoke in lots , in their car
, outside their house , and the horrifying fact that
there are students who smoke inside educational
institutions. Since no one can control these youth’s
habit’s and properly guide them without repercussions
from youths themselves we decided to asses just how
many are smoking cigarettes within the schools premises
and what is their reason for engaging in tobacco and
their own opinion of about smoking.

The team has high hopes that the result would at least
bring some benefits to all the students and bring forth
an internal change to those who participate in the
survey.
In a more ambitious tone , we hope that the results
will give the School more ideas on how to implement an
effective prohibition on tobacco product use inside the
campus premises and the surrounding area or
establishments and impose stricter penalties that
students would take seriously. In addition to this we
hope that the school will give stronger guidance
sessions relating to this.