Name: Herford Rei B.

Guibangguibang December 07, 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. 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. On the other hand, Hockenberry, J., Timmons, E., and Weg,

V. (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 are driven with curiosity.

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. According to Sanchez (2017),
Name: Herford Rei B. Guibangguibang December 07, 2019
PROBLEM-SOLUTION ESSAY M.A. English
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. 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 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. Community and parents, can 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 07, 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
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.

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