Name: Herford Rei B.

Guibangguibang December 18, 2019

PROBLEM-SOLUTION ESSAY M.A. English

Teenage Smoking Addiction in the Philippines

With the observation of adults smoking, the drive of curiosity of their children is

getting stronger which have led to smoking addiction at younger age. Every day, almost

2,500 children in the Philippines under 18 years of age try their first cigarette, and more than

400 of them will become new, regular daily smokers. Half of them ultimately die from the

habit which Stand AZ (2019) exposes that cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000

chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer, in evidence to 480,000 deaths per year

worldwide (Brown, 2019). People who start smoking at an early age are more likely to

develop a severe addiction to nicotine than those who start at a later age (American Lung

Association, 2019). Cigarette smoking addiction during childhood causes significant health

problems among young people, including an increase in the number and severity of

respiratory illnesses which means there is really a need to stop smoking specifically the

younger ones.

Several studies have presented factors that led teenagers to start smoking:

Mermelstein (2016) study found that teens exposed to the greatest amount of smoking in

movies were 2.6 times more likely to start get smoking and be addicted compared with

teens who watched the least amount of smoking in movies. This means that, watching

movies, at some point not good at all, since if much exposure with scenes on smoking could

trigger teenager to start smoke. Models in particular scenes who are seen smoking can be

the source as subjects for imitations. In addition, Hockenberry, Timmons, and Weg (2010)

survey showed that one of the major factors that triggers young children to smoke is that

they see more people smoke everywhere. This signifies that people who are in their social

web or system are more of the contributors to start smoke and later get addicted since they
Name: Herford Rei B. Guibangguibang December 18, 2019
PROBLEM-SOLUTION ESSAY M.A. English
are driven with curiosity. Meanwhile, [ CITATION Anj16 \l 1033 ] study revealed that 94% of

their teenager-respondents affirmed that smoking habit starts because of their loneliness

and boredom. This means that teenagers find smoking as their way of deviating to

lonesomeness and have something to do when they are felling dull. When they have nothing

to do, smoking takes place.

To discourage young smokers, there shall be a law restricting the existence of

smoking scenes in national televisions, or any media that supports smoking instead more on

slogans on how to stop smoking and the effects of smoking. This is attainable since

Philippine government holds Philippine television channels, particularly by MTRCB (The

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board), and this can be effective since

according to Sanchez (2017), media exposure can detrimentally affect health behaviour by

influencing short- and long-term attitudes and beliefs. In particular, movies can have a strong

exposure effect. Smoking scenes that are included in the development of a plot can induce

smoking behaviour because they have a strong ripple effect. Scenes of actors smoking in

movies can contribute to the view that smoking is a positive, socially acceptable act. Another

solution is that the government shall strictly impose no-smoking-policy on public places and

spaces with a young child’s presence and also by creating a ‘Smokers’ helpline referral’

program or ‘Smoke-Free QuitLine’ to the identified parent and teen smokers for them to be

assisted in quitting smoking. In the Philippine context, 8888 hotline has been running to

ensure Filipino or general public’s welfare, by this, ‘Smoke-Free Quitline’ can be achieved

such the government will include it in their aspiration. Moreover, this is very effective since

quit lines provide a variety of tobacco cessation services predominately via telephones. One

common service is a brief counselling to the smokers. According to Fiore (2009) there is a

strong evidence which shows that providing counselling and medication together is more
Name: Herford Rei B. Guibangguibang December 18, 2019
PROBLEM-SOLUTION ESSAY M.A. English
effective than either alone and that even a single, in-depth call improves the chances of

quitting compared to printed materials alone.

In short, teenage smoking addiction is highly increasing and it is a significant problem

in the country. The government is the strong resort to end this teenage smoking addiction or

smoking itself. However, community and parents, could also work together to minimize

teenage smoking addiction not just by waiting the actions be performed by the government.

Of all suggested solutions, restriction of smoking scenes and expose the damages smoking

brings are likely to present positive and great impact since in the country, awareness of

public health is already tightened however, smoking scenes in movies remain relatively free

from public monitoring. Therefore, establishing a standard that restricts the frequency of

smoking scenes in films and assigning a smoking-related screening grade to films is

warranted.
Name: Herford Rei B. Guibangguibang December 18, 2019
PROBLEM-SOLUTION ESSAY M.A. English
References
American Lung Association (2019). Tobacco Use among Children and Teens. Retrieved from
https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/tobacco-use-among-
children.html
Anjum, M., Srikanth, M., Reddy, P., Monica, M., Rao, K., & Sheetal, A. (2016). Reasons for smoking
among the teenagers of age 14-17 years in Vikarabad town: A cross-sectional study. Indian
Association of Public Health Dentistry, 14(1), 80-83. Retrieved from
http:://www.jiaphd.org./article.asp?issn=2319-
5932;year=2016;volume=14;issue=1;spage=80;epage=83;aulast=Anjum

Brown, A. J. (2019). Acute effect of smoking cessation on antioxidant status. Journal of Nutritional
Biochemistry, 7(1), 29-39.

Fiore, E. (2009). Benefits and rationale for establishing quit-line services. Imprimer Health
Publications. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/tobacco/publications/smoking_cessation/benefits_and_rationale_est_
who_tobacco_quit_line_services.pdf?ua=1

Hockenberry, J., Timmons, E., & Weg, V. (2010). Smoking, parent smoking, depressed mood, and
suicidal ideation in teens. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 12 (3), 235-242.

Mermelstein, R. J. (2016). Smoker identity development among adolescents who smoke. Psychology
of Addictive Behaviors, 30(4), 475-483.

Sanchez, T. (2017). Effect of Viewing Smoking Scenes in Motion Pictures on Subsequent Smoking
Desire in Audiences in South Korea. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.
doi:10.2196/publichealth.7093

Stand Az. (2019). Retrieved from Standaz.com: www.standaz.com/about/ smoking-facts/tobacco-

use-among-children.html