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Chapter 1

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Teenagers are the successor to the nation’s generation. However, teenagers now

often underestimate their health. The more teenagers use cigarettes at a young age

without regard to the consequences that will result from these behaviours. Because this

can have a negative impact on his health, his school and others.

Usually this done by students because their unstable emotional conditions make them do

everything to vent their emotion, the smoking population at an early age is very high. this

is because it will be due to lack of counselling about the dangers of smoking in schools or

the community, or maybe also a lack of awareness of themselves so that they do not pay

attention to the dangers and also going forward.

Smoking habits in the Philippines are very alarming. not only dangerous if

inhaled by people around them (passive smoker). The health effects of smoking are

problem that occurs globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there

are more 7million deaths due to diseases caused by cigarette smoke every year. around

890,000 cases of death occur in passive smokers around the world.

Many people begin smoking when they are teenagers to relief their stress; they

found it in a pack of cigarette. Ninety percent of smokers start smoking at or before 18.

Approximately 3,000 teens will smoke their first cigarette, today. Or those teens 1,000

will end up dying as a result of smoking. The majority people who smoke wish they had
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never started it. In our survey when we asked question to teens, majority said: it relaxes

me. It keeps me thin and I can quit anytime I want.

We realize that information about the danger of smoking for health is very

important to be known by the wider community, especially students. this is what

prompted us to compile this proposal about the dangers of smoking at an early age. we

hope that by knowing this information students can discourage them from consuming

cigarettes, or even stop smoking.

Significance of the Study

This study will guide the readers to identify the reasons for engaging in smoking at

early age, and to avoid the use of cigarettes and to find out what the effects are.

This study is important to the underage students of San Pablo city Integrated

High school for them to know in advance what might happen they continue to use the

cigarettes.

Once we finish our study, it will be of great benefit especially to those who relate

in our study, they only contain what may be the side effects and reasons for using

cigarettes.
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Chapter 2

REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Foreign Literature

Smoking is a practice in which tobacco is burned and the smoke is inhaled.

Smoking that contains Tobacco in which tobacco is an agricultural product that forms

nicotine, and nicotine affects our health. Smoking usually starts during at an early age

and psychosocial factors provide primary forces that lead adolescents to begin. Several

aspects of the social environment are influential in shaping teenagers' attitude, beliefs and

intentions about engaging in smoking at an early age. Tobacco is an herb that can be

smoked or chewed, directly affects the brain. While primary active ingredients is

nicotine, tobacco smoke contains almost 400 other compounds and chemicals, including

gases, liquids, particles, tar, carbon monoxide, cadmium, pyridine, nitrogen dioxide,

ammonia, benzene, phenol, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide.

Nicotine is a colorless, oily compound, and poisonous in concentrated amounts. If you

inhale while smoking, 90% of the nicotine in the smoke is absorbed in your body. Even if

you draw smoke only into your mouth and not in your lungs, you still absorb 25 to 30

percent of the nicotine.

The FDA has concluded that nicotine is a dangerous, addictive drug that should

be regulated. Faster than an injection, smoking speed nicotine to the brain in seconds,

nicotine affects the brain in much the same way as cocaine, opiates. and amphetamines,

triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and

addiction, as well as other messenger chemical. Because nicotine acts on some of the
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same regard cigarettes as friends that they turn to when they're stressed, sad, or mad. (Hal

es,2006).

Smoking is one of the major death causes in the world. Since the mid twentieth century

more than 60 million people have died worldwide due to tobacco use. (Engles, Den

ExterBlokland, Kemp &Scholte, 2004). In 2000, 49.7% of the deaths among Dutch adults

over 20 were caused by smoking (Stivoro, 2001). Adolescence is clearly a sensitive

period and continue to being regular smokers start their tobacco use during this period

and continue to being regular smokers into adulthood. In 2009, 21% of the Dutch youth,

between 10-19 years old, smoked at least one cigarette a month and 14% smoke cigarette

daily. Since smoking can have disastrous effects on health, it is important to prevent and

reduce this behavior as soon as possible, in particular in adolescents, which why

prevention programs on smoking among adolescents are designed. (Stivoro, 2009).

According to Shaw (2010); parents, friends and cultural influences play major

roles in whether, adolescents take up smoking at such a young age. Despite their

knowledge of the unhealthy consequences of smoking, young people often fall victim to

their surroundings. Adolescents need to reminded of the potential hazards of smoking at

an early age to resist the temptations so many of them face.

Adolescents become more likely to smoke when a parent smokers and the risk

increases with the number of smoking parents, according to the study published in the

February 2009 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the America Academy of Pediatrics.

Researchers from several universities, Including the Harvard School of Public

Health, Brown University and Northwestern University, studied 564 adolescents, aged
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12 to 17, along with their parents. The risk of smoking were no more likely to smoke than

children of parents who never smoked, the researchers found. There was an increased

chance boys would smoke when their fathers smoked.

Mayo Clinic states that many adolescents smoke as form of rebellion or to feel

independent, the friends who smoke have the ability to convince other teens to smoke.

Adolescents may want to fit in with a group of friends and take up smoking to feel cool.

Teens may smoke thinking it makes them look better to their peers. They also take up

smoking as a way to lose weight in some cases. Smoking at a young age intensifies the

risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) says. They tend to suffer the same kind of withdrawal symptoms as

adults. A 2008 survey of high school students who smoked found that half tried to quit

smoking cigarettes during the previous 12 months of the survey, the CDC reports.

Local Literature

Cigarette smoking has become so prevalent in the country that students have

become heavy consumers. Medical professionals prove that cigarette smoking at the early

age targets them differently from adults. As all are aware, nicotine makes it extremely

hard for addicted smokers to quit the bad habit. Indeed, the availability of extremely

affordable cigarettes makes it easier for the youth to start smoking at an early age and

develop addiction. (Health Justice Philippines 2011)

The constitution is neutral on the use of cigarettes and alcohol. If a Filipino citizen

wants to smoke and if big companies want to make big profits from the so called "sins"

of smoking and drinking alcohol, they are free to do so. But unlike ordinary citizens,
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Filipinos who are members of Congress are not free to ignore the present disastrous chain

of circumstances. Cigarette smoke contains some 70 chemicals which cause cancer.

Deaths from stroke and heart attack are most commonly associated with smoking as a

risk factor. In its wisdom, the Constitution proclaims health as a fundamental right,

accordingly imposes on the state the duty to protect the people's right to health and to

instill health consciousness. (Philippine Daily Inquirer 2013)

Tobacco use is one of the major preventable causes of premature death and disease

in the world. A disproportionate share of the global tobacco burden falls on developing

countries, where an estimated 84% of the world's 1.3 billion current smokers live. The

Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), part of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System

(GTSS) initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC, was develop to

monitor youth tobacco use, attitudes about tobacco, and exposure to tobacco smoke, and

has been completed by approximately 1.4 million students in 133 countries . A key goal

of GTSS is for countries to conduct the GYTSS every 4 years. This reports presents

findings from GYTSS conducted in the Philippines in 2000 and 2003, which revealed

substantial declines in the proportions of students aged 13-15 years who currently

smoked cigarettes, currently used other tobacco products, were likely to start smoking

pharmaceutical aid all of which aim to encourage and help tobacco users to stop using

tobacco and to avoid subsequent relapse. Evidence has show that cessation is the only

intervention with the potential to reduce tobacco-related morality in the short and

medium term and therefore should be part of an overall comprehensive tobacco-control

policy of any country.

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The Philippine Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in 2009 (DOH

,Philippines GATS Country Report, March 16, 2010) revealed that 28.3% (17.3 million )

of the population aged 15 years old and over currently smoke tobacco, 47.7% (14.6

million) of whom are men, while 9.0% (2.8 million) are women.

Eighty percent of these current smokers are daily smokers with men and women

smoking an average of 11.3 and 7sticks of cigarette per day respectively.

SYNTHESIS

Tobacco smoking really hits the young ones around the aged of 10-19 years

old.Some of the factors that incurred young ones to smoke are the following, separation

of parents that are career oriented, parents are working abroad, parent's dives not have the

time for their children sorted to find a group where they can hang out together and from

which they will feel secured. I would say that the peer group really influence the young

individual especially when they long for their parents. Parents emotional attachment and

if and only if the peer group were all smoking. there is no way that a young individual

won't try to smoke a cigarette. It takes a lot of courage to have a self-control but most of

the time and sad to say that they can easily dragged to develop bad vices like smoking.

The good thing is the government got so involved and alarmed with the high rates of

young people engaging in smoking at an early age and divert their attention into more

productive way and educate the parents so they will also be involve in making it possible

to at least change and decrease the rate of smoking young individual. Most of the places

they banned the smoking in public places, indoor restaurant, establishments, hospitals

schools and even inside the apartment or houses because of the hazardous effect towards
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individual. A global effect was being done already about the bad effects it can give them

like ailments that will be debilitate their health condition related to smoking.

Foreign Studies

A lot of research has been conducted in the field of risk factors for smoking

initiation and continuation among adolescents. Previous research on smoking implied that

nearest environment of an adolescent is one of the most important factors in the initiation

process, especially parents and best friend (Bothmer, Mattsson & Fridlund, 2002). During

adolescence there is an increase of amount of time spending with friends and a decrease

of time spend with parents (Darling & Cumsille, 2003). Parental influence remain strong

in adolescent's making decision, and especially in areas involving adolescent's values and

long-term goals, like career choice (Bauman, Carver & Gleiter, 2001). However since the

time spend with peer's increases, peer influence which is the mechanism in which the

adolescents become more similar to their peers by interacting with them, is crucial during

adolescence and especially in day to day activities. That is why this investigation will

focus on the extent to which the nearest environment, including peers and parents,

influence adolescent's smoking behavior. (Darling & Cumsille, 2003).

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is a joint product of WHO, the US

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Canadian Public Health Association and

most WHO member states. The GYTS is a school-based survey of teenager aged 13-15,

which has enabled consistent data collection from 395 sites encompassing 131 countries,

plus the Gaza Strip and West Bank Overall, 10% of surveyed students had used some

form of tobacco product in the 30 days prior to the survey. Smoking rates were highest in
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the European region (19%) and lowest in the Eastern Mediterranean regions (5%). The

differences between boys' and girls' smoking rates were statistically significant in the

African, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asian and Western Pacific region, while no

significant differences were reported by sex in the Americas and European region (Table

1, 13, 2). In many countries the difference between boys' and girls' smoking rates was

narrower than expected, reflecting increased uptake of smoking in girls.

The GYTS also reported on susceptibility to taking up smoking, by asking

never-smokers whether they would smoke a cigarette if it were offered by their best

friend and whether they thought they might smoke a cigarette within the next year. By

these measures, 19% of respondents were susceptible to commencing smoking within the

next year. Teenagers in the European region had the highest susceptibility (30%), and

teenagers in the Western Pacific the lowest (13%). National data have also been reported

for New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, England and the US. These data are of interest since

these countries have adopted, to a greater or lesser extent, tobacco control measures

which are similar to those operating in Australia. Key findings from some international

surveys are reported briefly here and interested readers should refer to the primary

sources for further information. Due to methodological differences, it should be noted

that these data are not directly comparable with Australian data or with each other. In

New Zealand in 2010, a survey of year 10 students (aged 14-15) found that 10% of

respondents were regular (daily, weekly or monthly) smokers. Overall 5.5% of

respondents aged 14-15 were daily smokers in 2010. More than 64% of students had

never smoked. Results from the 2008-09 Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (YSS)

indicate that 3% of youth in grades 6-9 reported that they were current smokers, a figure
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unchanged from 2006-07 but up from 2% in 2004-05. For youth in grades 10-12

however, the 13% of youth who reported that they were current smokers was a

statistically significant increase from 2006-07 when the rate was 11%.

Local Studies

The survey also revealed that among ever daily smokers, 21.5% have quit

smoking. Among those who smoked in the last 12 months, 47.8% made a quit attempt,

12.3% stated they use counseling and or advise as their cessation method, but only 4.5%

successfully quit . Among current cigarette smokers, 60.6% stated they are interested in

quitting, translating to around 10 million Filipinos needing help to quit smoking as the

moment. The above scenario dictates the great need to build the capacity of health

workers to help smokers quit smoking, thus the need for the Department of Health to set

up a national infrastructure to help smokers to quit. In the next year, or were exposed to

second-hand smoke in public place. The findings also indicated an increase in the

proportion of students who supported bans on smoking in public places, had seen anti-

tobacco messages in media and advertising. Public health authorities in the Philippines

should evaluate their current tobacco-control programs and enhance or expand them to

further reduce youth smoking (MMWR, 2005).

The latest surveys in the Philippines indicate that one of every three adult Filipinos

currently smoke, 33% of the country's adult population. Another 13% count themselves

as ex- smokers. Only four out of ten Philippine households are smoke-free. with an

passive smokers in the country. Tobacco use in Filipino youth is alarming. About 30% of

adolescents in the urban area smoke, and of these, more than 70% started smoking
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between the ages 13-15. On a national level, the study says that as much as 40% of boys

and 19% of girls aged 10-14 are already daily smokers. The aged 15-19, 38% of both

male and female Filipinos are already considered regular smokers (DOH, 2011).

Anti-tobacco mass media campaigns can be cost effective compared with other

interventions despite the expense required, and can have a greater impact because they

reach large populations quickly and efficiently (DOH 2011).

The tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9211) prohibits

smoking in all public places, and prohibits tobacco sales within 100m of schools,

playgrounds and other facilities frequented by youth. It requires retailers to demand proof

of age from cigarette buyers, and display signs stating that it is an offence to sell

cigarettes to person less than 18 years old. All sponsorship shall be banned by 1 July

2008. Violators of this new Act will be fined between 500 pesos (about US$10) TO 400

000 pesos (about US$7,270) and can be imprisoned from 30 days to three years.

Tobacco companies have prepared for these restrictions. For example, a British

American Tobacco brand manager stated in 2004 that future marketing would be focused

on one-to-one "permission marketing" in order to counter restrictions placed on mass

media strategies. Here, consumers provide marketers with permission to send them

promotional messages thus improving targeting precision. "Permission marketing allow

us to talk consumers on their level, on their turf".

Further, the Republic Act No. 9211 mandated the creation of Inter-agency

Committee-Tobacco (IAC Tobacco).

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Its task have included the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations

(IRR) of the said law and the subsequent exclusive power of administration and

implementation. The IAC-Tobacco has nine members, including seven representatives

from government agencies, one from tobacco industry, and one from non-government

organization. The National Tobacco Administration has a long history of pro-tobacco

policy. The Department of Trade and Industry, which heads the IAC-Tobacco , has also

been labeled as pro-tobacco by anti-tobacco activists. The World Health Organization

hasconcluded that "Continuing efforts to enact comprehensive legislation have yet to

achieve victory" in the Philippines.

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Chapter 3

PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Figure 1

28
25
18 17 17
12 13
11
8 9 9

e c o s k t rs ss
enc lem e em r isti acc lan ris ff ec to gain tre
b t b P f e c t S
flu Pr
o es cte To f o l fa h
r In ly elf- ara to n go tion sica r al eig
e i S i y vio w
Pe m w Ch re ck ep Ph t
Fa Lo ial o su La erc eha b ou
c p P B a
So Ex n
c er
n
Co
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The figure shows the reasons why students are engaged in smoking at an early

age. Most number of students answered that peer influence is the major reason for

smoking early, with 28 respondents. It is followed by 25 students saying that they are

stressed that’s why they smoke. Eighteen students stated that they engaged in early age

smoking because of family problem. Seventeen respondents answered social

characteristic and physical effect that they want to engage in cigarette smoking at an early

age. It is followed by 13 students who want to engage in smoking at an early age because

of the behavioral factors. Lacking of plans were chosen by 12 respondents, while 11

respondents said that exposure to tobacco is the reason they want to smoke. Nine students

said that they engage on smoking at an early age because they are concern about weight

gain and perception of risk, and 8 respondents chose low self esteem for engaging in

smoking cigarette at an early age.

Figure 2

14 yrs old 15 yrs old 16 yrs old 17 yrs old

4%
25%

43%

28%
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On this figure shows all the age of the students who were smoking. Forty-three

percent of the respondents is 14 years old. It is followed by twenty-eight percent of

students age 15 years old, while twenty-five percent aged 16 years old of the students are

smoking. And lastly four percent aged 17 years old students were engaged in cigarette

smoking.

Chapter 4

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

Summary

The objective of this study is to know all the reason why the students are engaging

in cigarette smoking at an early age. It focused on what drives people to smoke at an

early age. It is conducted on the first week of the month of February at San Pablo City

Integrated High School.

We gathered data through survey on the selected students of San Pablo City

Integrated High School. Based on the data that we collected, among all the students aged

14 to 17 years old, most of the students engaged in cigarette smoking because of the peer

influence.
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Conclusion

Based on the data presented, the researcher concluded the following:

1. Peer influence is the major reason for smoking at an early age.

2. Most of the students started smoking at the age of 14

3. Smoking at an early age is hazardous to a person’s health.

Recommendation

The researchers come up with the following recommendations:

1. Chose a friend who is not vicious and do not smoke.

2. Do not influence others to smoke at an early age.

3. There are many harmful chemicals in cigarettes.

4. Do not be tempted to be friends to someone who is smoking.

5. Avoid trying cigarette at an early age.