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Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines)

Smoking is one of the main contributors to health problems in the Philippines. It damages lungs and restricts oxygen in the blood, increasing risks of heart disease, lung cancer, and COPD. 12% of heart disease deaths globally are caused by smoking. In the Philippines specifically, over a third of the 90 million population smokes, including children as young as 5. This smoking issue prevalent in the Philippines contributes to rising death tolls and worse health outcomes for both smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. The government must address this problem to prevent addiction and protect public health.

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136 views

Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines)

Smoking is one of the main contributors to health problems in the Philippines. It damages lungs and restricts oxygen in the blood, increasing risks of heart disease, lung cancer, and COPD. 12% of heart disease deaths globally are caused by smoking. In the Philippines specifically, over a third of the 90 million population smokes, including children as young as 5. This smoking issue prevalent in the Philippines contributes to rising death tolls and worse health outcomes for both smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. The government must address this problem to prevent addiction and protect public health.

Uploaded by

katebandohan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction

Smoking is an activity wherein done by any smoker that inhales smoke from a pipe or a
cigarette which may contain nicotine, a highly addictive chemical found on tobaccos. This is
perceived as a negative factor due to its harm towards health for both users and second-hand
smokers as it can greatly damage lungs once inhaled. According to World Health Organization,
12% of heart disease and deaths came from the usage and exposure to smoke. Once a user gets
addicted to smoking, it can be difficult to stop due to the effects of nicotine in the brain.
Body
Smoking is a contributing factor to health problem as this may cause difficulty in breathing,
lung cancers and COPDs or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Smoking activity greatly
damages the lungs because it interrupts with the lungs system to properly function. According to
TFI (Tobacco Free Initiative), smoking cause reduction of lung growth and lowers it levels
function which is evident to cigarette smokers than to those who never experience smoking.
Rising death toll
Worsen situation for both users and second hand smokers

Health Secretary, Francisco T. Duque III stated that tobacco smoke may thicken the blood, increase
the risk of blood clots, narrows the arteries and restricts oxygen in the blood. According to World
Health Organization, 12% of heart disease and deaths came from the usage and exposure to smoke.
The 260,000 of these deaths were brought by children that were both using and exposed to
smoking. This smoking issue was at most prevalent to third world countries such as Philippines.
In South-east Asia alone, the Philippines has the second highest number of smokers, noted FCAP
(Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines), one of the organizers of the recent tobacco forum. Over a
third of the country’s 90 million population smokes cigarettes. (Santos, 2010). In the Philippines,
there are over millions of smokers and these includes children. The Department of Health reported
that children as young as 5 has already started smoking. The youth who are exposed to an
environment where smoking is a popular vice may have a high chance of adapting to the same vice
mainly due to peer pressure or even curiosity. The failure to address these problems may lead to
addiction which can be difficult to be prevented. According to the Global Tobacco Survey
(GYTS), Philippines has the highest percentage of young smokers and more than 70 percent of
these are children between 13 and 15 years old. Therefore, the government must abolish smoking
in the Philippines.
Smoking is in fact, one of the main contributors to health problems among the young Filipinos.
One of the health problems is having lung problems or lung damage such as having Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and lung cancers. According to TFI (Tobacco Free Initiative),
smoking cause reduction of lung growth and lowers it levels function which is evident to cigarette
smokers than to those who never experience smoking. Teenagers may experience shortness of
breath and overproduction of phlegm. Smoking even affects their physical fitness in terms of
performance and endurance due to the weakness of their lungs. This is further worsened when
the user smokes regularly until adulthood. This also heightens the chances for having lung cancer
It was estimated that 90% of lung cancer are linked to cigarette smoking. (Philippine star, 2017).

Another reason is that it contributes to the rising death toll


 World Health Organization estimated that for every hour, one person dies from lung
cancer.
 About six in ten children live in Filipino houses where other people smoke. Figures from
FCAP further show that about 200,000 young Filipinos will suffer from smoking-related
diseases early on in their lives, and about 80,000 will perish from it.
 Globally, WHO estimates that 250 million children could eventually die of tobacco-related
diseases.

Another health problem is that it causes COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is
a disease which limits the airflow in the lungs which makes it difficult to breathe and cause
coughing or wheezing. As of now, COPD is considered seventh among the leading causes of
death in the Philippines. (Soliman, 2017)
It was estimated that 90 percent of lung cancers are linked to cigarette smoking, making smoking
the leading cause of lung cancer. (The Philippine Star, 2017). Another health problem is the

This also heightens the chances for having lung cancer.


 Health experts estimate that 10 Filipinos die of smoke-related disease every hour. Lung cancer
is one of the top cancer-related deaths among Filipino men and the third for women. On
average, someone who smokes a pack or more of cigarettes each day lives 7 years less than
someone who never smoked.(2)

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