Phl tobacco situation ‘alarming’

Health advocates are raising concerns about the prevalence of tobacco and electronic cigarette use among Filipino youth.

Citing the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, the Alliance of Local Legislators for Human Development (ALL4HD) noted that 14.1 percent, or about one in seven students aged 13 to 15, are already using vapes or electronic cigarettes.

The same study revealed that 12.5 percent, or one in eight students in the same age group, use any type of tobacco product, including vapes and traditional cigarettes. The survey also indicated the easy accessibility of these products, with nearly 80 percent of students who smoke reporting they buy them from stores, shops, kiosks or street vendors.

ALL4HD asserted that this situation is a direct consequence of the tobacco industry’s targeting of young people.

The group urged local legislators to enact strong tobacco control laws and policies to protect youth and ensure their effective implementation at the local level. Their recommendations include ordinances that reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine products through smoking cessation programs, information campaigns, and behavioral change strategies.

They also called for the creation of smoke-free and vape-free environments, emphasizing the protection of minors and the general public from secondhand smoke and vape emissions.