15- Smoking No More

Smoking No More

As a non-smoker it always a  big question mark to me why people smoke the fact that it is indeed dangerous not only for a smoker but for a people around them. Smoking doesn’t only affect oneself but with the environment too. So why people still smoke?

Adults smoke to cope up with stress, control their weight, a social habit or sometimes to combat freedom.  But an alarming facts that the increasing rate of teens smoking. And studies shows that the biggest reason teens smoke due to peer influence as most of their friends smoke. And it also shows that a high percentage of teens smoke is that because they see it with their parents. According to research every three Filipino teenagers aged 13 to 15 are already smokers and as the years go by the number continue to rise. Teenage smoking is one of the government that is concerned about as it hard to control smoking among youths especially in our country that at early age they are expose with cigarette as they are the one who forced to buy cigarettes for the adults at the sari sari store. 

Few years ago the government passed the bill R.A. 9211 known as Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 that provide a better and healthier environment. The Act also regulate the use, sale and advertisement of tobacco products. Unfortunately it wasn’t strongly implemented when it was approved, only early last year that the government started action by promoting an anti-smoking campaign. The Anti-Smoking campaign prohibit below 18 to purchase cigarette and a punishment for those people who smoke in public places. To show to the public that the government is serious with the campaign, MMDA impose a fine of five hundred pesos for a first offender or 8 hour community service for those who cannot afford.  

As an educational institution, Asia Pacific College also implement an anti-smoking campaign by forbidding the use of tobacco within the school grounds and help those who wants to quit to smoke. Even though I doubt with the effectiveness of the said campaign as they won’t able to monitor the students when they are not in school. Quitting is not easy but with willpower it is possible.