Research Paper Cigarette Smoking

TITLE: CIGARETTE SMOKING OBJECTIVES: To be able to know what is cigarette smoking To be able to know the numbers of cigarette smokers in the philippines To be able to know how to lessen the numbers of cigarette smokers To be able to know the possible solutions for cigarette smoking To be able to know the alternative solutions for cigarette smoking INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking is one of the most common forms of recreational drug use. Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly the substance is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant which have been rolled into a small square of rice paper to create a small, round cylinder called a "cigarette". Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. These include nicotine,tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT. Nicotine is highly addictive.

Related Studies:

The Philippines was the 15th largest consumer of tobacco in the world in 2002 and currently has one of the highest smoking rates in Asia, as well as some of the lowest cigarette prices The Philippines ranks second in number of smokers, and has the highest number of female smokers in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Many Filipinos die due to smokingrelated diseases. On a daily basis, 240 Filipinos die because of these smoking-related diseases such as heart failure, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease and many cancers. This accounts for 87,600 deaths due to smoking-related diseases in the country every year. Direct and indirect exposures to cigarette smoking cause these diseases. In connection with these dangers of smoking, there are increasing numbers of Filipino smokers and an alarming number of youth smokers. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (2007) estimates that there are 17% or 4 million Filipino youths with ages 13-15 years who are smoking. Of these early starters, 2.8 million are boys and 1.2 million are girls. According to a 2009 survey conducted under the auspices of the Philippines' Department of Health, Philippine Statistics Authority, the World Health Organization, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28.3 percent of the population are "current tobacco smokers". This figure represents 17.3 million of 61.3 million adult Filipinos.

GRAPH OR CHART:

PROBLEM: How to lessen the number of cigarette smokers in the Philippines? POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS  Enforce

Republic Act No. 9211. AN ACT REGULATING THE PACKAGING, USE, SALE,

DISTRIBUTION AND ADVERTISEMENTS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES and

publicize how offenders are penalized.

 Make anti-smoking warnings bigger, more colorful, and more visible. If possible, place it in billboards and suggest that government sponsor advertisements of similar nature in television, radio, and print media. On the other hand, ban cigarette advertisements! Also, ask advertising agencies to modify marketing strategies and refrain from focusing on the youth sector.  Make anti-smoking warnings appear on ALL sides of the cigarette pack:front, back, top, bottom, and all side panels. This must be done indefinitely and not on a limited time basis only.  Refuse cigarette purchase among adolescents and penalize those stores who commit this offense

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS  Make cigarettes very expensive. Consider this irony: the price of Marlboro in the Philippines is the second lowest among all ASEAN nations, while the prices of basic medicines are among the highest in Asia. What do you call that? It is cheaper to get sick and more expensive to get healed?  How can you make cigarettes very expensive? By increasing tobacco or cigarette taxes. Legislators and the government should have a direct hand in this. The most price-responsive are the lower-income groups and the youth. By making cigarettes expensive, we can discourage them from smoking.  Sponsor student field trips to hospital wards where patients with smoking-related illnesses are confined to highlight the results of long-term smoking.  Ban children and young people from openly selling cigarettes in the streets.  Give incentives like discount coupons to smoke-free households. Smoking drains nearly 20 percent of the household income of smokers' families.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUMMARY:

Cigarette smoking is one of the most common forms of recreational drug use. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. Many Filipinos die due to smoking-related diseases. On a daily basis, 240 Filipinos die because of these smoking-related diseases such as heart failure, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease and many cancers. This accounts for 87,600 deaths due to smoking-related diseases in the country every year. Direct and indirect exposures to cigarette smoking cause these diseases. The number of cigarette smokers in the Philippines is very alarming, the more smokers the number of deaths will be listed. The researcher recommend to at least lessen the numbers of cigarette smokers in the phils, to also decrease the number of tobacco related deaths. CONCLUSION: The researcher conclude that every year cigarette smokers are getting higher in number or in population. The number of tobacco related deaths are also getting higher.