Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Rationale
The smoking ban ensures the health and safety of the environment and those who dwell in it. It provides hope not just to an individual, but to the whole society. Considering the harmful effects of smoking on individual’s health and environment, it is just right to have a smoking ban especially on public places. It is implemented in order to promote a heathy lifestyle and discourage the use of cigarettes. Moreover, it is a reminder for everyone that the government is serious and well-aware of the prevailing issue regarding smoking. Hence, the smoking ban was implemented by President Rodrigo Duterte to lessen such worse case scenarios. However, these rules are frequently violated.
Earlier studies show that one of the major problems of people and in the environment, in general, is the habit of smoking among first-hand smokers. This is a serious issue because most first-hand smokers do not think of the major consequences they will face afterwards if they continue this in their lifestyle. Consequently, second-hand smokers complain and raise arguments regarding the habit of first-hand smokers wherein some of them do not follow the smoking ban implementation. This is absolutely true if the first-hand smoker does not care about his or her surroundings. Some of them just smoke whenever and wherever they want even though there are signs and posts that indicate a non-smoking area, which is often a sad plight among Filipinos who do not smoke. Despite the people’s lack of knowledge, discipline, and poor upbringing, the blame is still put on the government for the bad results of the smoking ban.
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death in the United States and United Kingdom. It harms nearly every organ in the body that causes numerous cancers as well as chronic lung diseases, such as emphysema and bronchitis, heart disease, pregnancy- related problems, and other many serious health problems.
Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths. Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, and firearm-related incidents. It causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths. More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer. Moreover, it causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
According to conservative estimates, over 79 000 adults, including 19 000 non-smokers, died in the European Union (EU) in 2002 due to exposure to tobacco smoke at home (72 000) and in their workplace (7300) (European Commission, 2017). This has been a proof that all who are involved with tobacco smoke can lead to diseases, or even worse, death of an individual. In addition, it is not only the smoking that causes harm to the environment and people. It all originates from the tobacco industries or cigarette manufacturing industries. In the process of making cigarettes, environmental damage also occurs.
In the United States, there is a nationwide ban on smoking in all public housing. The Obama administration has issued a sweeping final rule banning smoking in all public housing units nationwide, extending a smoke-free environment to nearly a million units. The rule, issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, prohibits smoking any lit tobacco products (like cigarettes, pipes and cigars) in indoor areas of public housing complexes. It also bans smoking in public housing administrative offices and in outdoor areas within 25 feet from the buildings (National Public Radio, 2016).
In the Philippines, the smoking ban, or Executive Order No. 26 was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 16. It aims to establish “smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places.” The Philippines bans smoking in public places under Republic Act 9211 or The Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, and has been a signatory to a tobacco control treaty for more than a decade.
According to lawyer Jim Asturias of Health Justice Philippines — an NGO focusing on overlapping issues of health and law, and public health policy — the Executive Order is necessary to address the gray areas of the RA 9211, such as the definition of “public places” and the kinds of tobacco products that will be banned. Under RA 9211, smoking in public places is allowed as long as it is done at a designated outdoor smoking area with proper ventilation.Under the executive order, individuals caught violating the smoking ban will face fines ranging from P500 to P10,000 depending on the number of offenses.
Despite several warnings from the government, many are still addicted to smoking. Cigarette smoking is addicting because it contains several substances. If an individual is a regular smoker and when the blood level of nicotine falls, he or she usually develops withdrawal symptoms such as craving, anxiety, restlessness, headaches, irritability, hunger, difficulty with concentration, and just feeling awful. And also, carbon dioxide that affects the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
(Tidy, 2015).
In Manila, it is evident that first-hand smokers are taking over public places. These smokers are seen hanging around the outdoors of malls, boutiques, restaurants, fast food chains, or even outside the schools and other public places that indicate a smoking zone. They contribute to the smoke pollution in the urban area. With these being said, there are people smoking around teenagers that may influence them to smoke. They can be curious why smoking is common in a certain place.
Many people still smoke although they know the danger of smoking and/or even with or without laws. Some people still don’t follow the laws implemented by the government because they are more concerned on the profit that they earned. On the other hand, first-hand smokers continue using and buying cigarettes because of addiction. If these issues will not be addressed immediately, mortality rate will increase and some of them will continue smoking because they don’t know the consequences of their actions. Also, government won’t be able to improve programs that they implemented. Based on these research, the researchers will investigate the perceptions of first hand smokers among grade 11 and 12 students of xxx Catholic School. The need to conduct this research is to be able to provide best possible result that would help first hand smokers to be aware and change their perception on smoking.
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to describe the perceptions of identified first-hand smokers among Grade 11 and 12 students of xxx Catholic School. Specifically, this seeks to find out:
1. What do they know about smoking?
2. How did they begin smoking?
3. What drives them to smoke?
4. What is smoking for them?
Scope and Delimitation
This study will mainly focus on selected first-hand smokers among the Senior High School students. Since teenagers at this generation are at the state of self-discovery and curiosity, they will be ask about their perception on smoking, how did they begin smoking, what do they know about smoking, what drives them to smoke and what is smoking for them. Also, due to the increase rate of smoking, the researchers select teenagers to protect them from being initiated to cigarette smoking. Current and former smoker will be included in this study for the sake of the researchers to gain more information about their own perspective. Furthermore, with the use of interview, particularly semi structured interview, it will be able to help the researcher to gather data each respondent experiences.
The study would not include second-hand smokers because information among them are not relevant to the study. It is to ensure that the researcher will provide necessary and legitimate information with regards to the perception of first-hand smokers.
Significance of the Study
The results of the study will be of great benefit to the following:
- Students. This will help students quit smoking or avoid smoking.
- Parents. This will help parents on how will they educate their child aboit smoking.
- School Administrators and Teachers. This will give them an idea on the appropriate program that will help students stop smoking or change their perception about smoking.
- Government Officials. This study can greatly benefit government offcials. The results of this study could help them revise laws on smoking for the youth.
- Future Researchers. The result will serve as the basis of their study,
Definition of Terms
The following terms are used in the current study and are defined effectively for the purposes of the research:
- Drive means cause to happen or develop
- First-hand smoker is the person who smoke tobacco products regularly
- Perception is the way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something
- Smoking refers to the inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning plant material and especially tobacco
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The researchers reviewed literature and studies related and relevant to the study. This contains information about what do they know about smoking, how did they begin smoking, what drives them to smoke and what is smoking for them. Also, it includes information about how smokers perceived smoking, factors influence them to smoke and smoking experiences.
Related Literature
Cigarette Smoking, Cause and Effect to the First Hand Smokers. And also additional information on the Benefits and Tips of quitting.The second part focuses kn the Related Studies such as Thesis conducted by the researchers. It includes information about how Smokers Perceived Smoking, Factors influence them to smoke, Their Behavior and Smoking Experiences.
Related Literature
Cigarette smoking is known as a prominent practice of inhaling tobacco mixture of vaporized particles and gasses for the purpose of recreation and relaxation. The smoke comprises mainly of the pharmacologically active alkaloid nicotine and different substances that are absorbed into the circulation system through the lungs. They affect the mind, giving a positive sensation impact. Traditionally the smoke is produced as a result of burning dried tobacco leaves in cigarettes,hookahs or other devices. Marijuana and other drugs is manipulated as alternative products of smoking (Oleksandr Ivanov).
There are approximately 9 million adults in the UK who smoke and two-thirds of the smokers started smoking before the age of 18. And there are 6 major reasons for smoking addiction at a glance: peer pressure, social rewards, risky behaviour, as a remedy, smoking runs in the family, and genetics. They have different reasons or perspectives why they start smoking and why they still continue to smoke even though they already know that it is danger to our health. (Action on Smoking and Health)
The younger you begin smoking, the bigger chance of you becoming addicted it. According to Surgeon’s General Report in 2012, there is only a small possibility that young people will quit in smoking. These people never think of what could happen to them brought by the nicotine itself which is the main reason why people is becoming more and more addictive to cigarette smoking. Nicotine, which we know that composes of harmful chemicals spreads throughout our body and this raises the amount of nicotine in our blood. In this way, more tobacco will be needed to get the same effect and this is called tolerance.
In addition to that, smokers nowadays started smoking when they are still at a young age due to social situations. It can be seen in this article that at a young age, people already started smoking also because of conflicts in situations. The people around us, the authority, and our norms, those are some of the reasons that pushed people to started smoking. They are influenced by their own society and for them to cope up with the problems that are brought by it, they smoke. This is why while they grow up, they continue to smoke until it becomes a hobby. Hence, resulting to a percentage that many people die from smoking compared to other diseases(Mckee, S.).
There are different aspects as to why smoking have been a problem in our society. People are facing different circumstances and these plays a major role in affecting people to smoke. According to (Addiction Blog. Org, 2011) teens and children are the ones associated to this problem.
Based on an article, cigarette sales peaked in 1960 and since then, much has changed. Social acceptance, sophistication, torches of freedom, coping mechanisms, celebrity influence, are some of the reasons people started smoking back then.
Family smoking and smoking role modes are one of the reasons why smokers have been influenced to smoke. According to an article by (Smith, H. And Stutts, M.,) in the Journal of Consumers Affairs, the main factors that encourages people to smoke are family smoking behaviour, peer pressure and prior beliefs about smoking. At a young age, people imitate the behaviour of those who are surrounding them. Those whose parents or relatives are smoking have higher chances of having a child who will smoke in the future (Addiction Blog, 2011).
Peer pressure also plays an important role in smoking cessation. Educational level, economic status and family history are some of the significant factors that add up to their pressure. Hence, resulting to cigarrette use.
According to (Holt, 2011), for some people, social aspect is already a part od them that can’t be ignored. When they go out for a smoke break with the people they are aquainted to, it gives them a sense of belonging and bonding. It can also be their way of awarding themselves when they achieved something.
Perceptions of the people towards smoking is a great help for others to understand what they think of smoking. The importance of knowing about this issue can atleast help people not to be urged to start doing it. We all know that smoking cessation is a big problem that needs to be addressed
According to (Fernandez, 2016), adults believed that smoking cigarettes is riskier and less socially acceptable compared to the past years. Even though e-cigarettes has been drastically used recently, adolescents are still less favorable of cigarette cessation (Mkelvey, 2016). California study have performed a survey which asks about cigarette-smoking perceptions, intentions, and use. A professor of pediatrics in StandfrodmUniversity School of Medicine said “Our findings support the belief that adolescents today hold less favorable attitudes towards cigarettes”.
In Canada and United States, large warning labels are placed on cigarette packages. According to them, the aim of it is to study of those people who smokes cigarettes specially adults. It was reviewed that Canadian cigarette warning labels were more detailed than U.S cigarette warning labels (O’Hegart, M, Yenokyan, G, et. Al.).
Warning labels are important to help control the issue on smoking. It needs to be more detailed so that people can get the importance of putting it in a cigarette pack.
The people around us, the authority, and our norms, those are some of the reasons that pushed people to started smoking. They are influenced by their own society and for them to cope up with the problems that are brought by it, they smoke. This is why while they grow up, they continously smoke untik it becames a hobby. Hence, resulting to a percentage that many people die from smoking compared to other diseases (Mckee, S.).
Related Studies
The study states that smoking is a primarily activity when we hit adolescence. If a person smoke, it means that he/she is highly influenced by a peer group. Peer groups are significant factors to uptake smoking as an adolescent smokers and non-smokers. The peer influence can be the person’s really close friends, romantic attachment, or even a small social ‘networks’ and large social ‘crowds’. Each peer group may influence the person whether to smoke or not to smoke(Scollo and Winstanley, 2014).
According to Jarvis(2008), teens began to smoke because of what they call the psychosocial motives. It begins when a child started to act mature, based on their perspectives among themselves. Some examples of psychosocial motives are when they claiming that, in words such, ”I am not a kid anymore” and I’m a gown man now”. These ways of thinking push them to try smoking in a young age. Some of them became a regular smokers.
Dr. McRobbie(2009) claims that there is no single reason why people began smoking but here are influences that initiate people to smoke at a young age. Examples are when a person lives and grew up in a place where regular smokers also lives, the tendency is that they smoke just to fit in to he society around the person. And second is the influence of friends. Given that the friend is smoking, yet the friend is encouraging the person, the person will try it, and the encouraging goes on and on.
New Medical Life Sciences(2009) states that there are other reasons why people started smoking and kept going. Besides enjoyment, women in England states that they smoke to cope with stress and to feel relieve from problems. Men on the other hand has different reason why they smoke. Men in England smokes because it is their way to control their weight and maintain their body figure.
According to Gus Lubin, there are reasons why people started and why they keep going. The reasons are: some people smokes, for them to have fun and live for the moment, like this is their way to cope up with problems, or stress. Also, people smoke to calm their nerves and controls themselves. And lastly, some people just smoke because they just like it and they don’t care about it.
Kids Health(2018) states that kids tends to smoke because of the following: to act cool, act that they are old enough to smoke, to lose weight and to look tough. This is why parents must act fast before their children become addicted. One way to prevent them for smoking that, parents must give their children proper discipline to know their limits and to act on their age. This will help them realize what’s wrong with their perception ps on why they smoke
Based on the findings of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, there are 1,200 Americans who die everyday because of smoking-related illnesses. For them, there are things that makes them crave more to smoke to help them atleast cope up with what they are struggling. There are things that pushes them to smoke even if they know what could be the outcome of it.
The University of Texas School of Public Health conducted a test to see the individual smoking urges of women smokers. They tested it on women because there are reports that women have greater difficulty of quitting smoking assimilate to men. The results says that smoking urges when alcohol was consumed. “Interestingly, these higher, more volatile smoking urges were reported before the individual actually began drinking, suggesting that alcohol consumption may have been in response to smoking urges rather than vice versa”(Businelle, 2013).
Studies show that the most common reasons why people smoke is for enjoyment and stress relief. But for them, there were differences between and among each smokers. According to the study of (Cancer Research UK, 2009) women are much more of a smoker than men because this is their way of stress relief and it helps them control their weight.
In addition, advertisement is a major factor in smoking. Smoking Advertisement usually targets adults but children also sees them, becoming curious, and up until they try their first cigarette. Smoking Advertisement, due to the possibility that it may initiate smoking, specially for children, was banned for over 39 countries for the safety of the children. In other countries, smoking advertisements became the reason why young adults, ages 16-19, started smoking. Due to curious of smoking, they tried and became daily smokers(Burton et al., 2010).
It is hard for smokers to quit smoking but there are services and treatments available to help them enhance their mind to quit smoking. The News Medical Life Sciences says that smokers more likely to quit smoking when they get medication and professional support than try to go “cold-turkey”. (King, 2011) said “Understanding why people smoke is vital if quit smoking programmes are to be more successful. These results highlight just how complex the nicotine addiction is for smokers – an addiction that kills half of all long term users.
There are many ways in helping smokers to give up their bad habit. Lessening exposure to things that can trigger them to smoke – like having advertisements behind that provides steps on quitting smoking. Educationg people about it will help them to quit ( Cancer Research UK, 2009
According to Fernandez(2016), She claims that some adolescents smokes because smoking makes them mature on their own perceptions. With regards to this, most of the teens believe that smoking can trigger health problems on your body; causing heart and lung problems. Here are some findings of the researchers:
- In 2015, more students chooses not to smoke while fewer are smoking.
- The same year, fewer students smokes to make them look mature and more students chooses not smoke because smoking can cause trouble.
According to Dr. Scales and Company(2008), besides hassle school works, there are many reasons why people, like American, smoke in a young age. First, they smoke just for coping mechanisms or to calm nerves. Second is to be accepted by the society and just to fit in. Third is the surroundings that influence them to smoke. Last reason is because of problems like family, personal and etc.
According to Ophthatlmol(2008), smoking starts in teenage years, or before turning 18. Some people smoke because they are tired, but little did they know that for teenagers smoking can’t affect the eyes. Smoking can calm us, help us to cope up with stress but we forget that smoking can also affect the body and even the eyes. If the teenager will be aware of this, this may initiate the smokers to quit.
One of the things why smokers keep smoking is because they perceive that when cigarette has less nicotine, then it is less harmful. Smokers think that smoking low-nicotine-content lowers the chance of smoking itself. Researches conducted a research to be able to answer their theory regarding this topic. The results showed that their theory was right. That other people say that this cigarette is low-nicotine-content and the other is the opposite of it,they think that it will lessen the danger to them. The truth is, no matter how many times a day you smoke, no matter if the content of the nicotine is high or low, your body will still be exposed to harm (Donny, E.).
Furthermore, Nashed (2017) states that “Smokers perceived fewer risks, decreased satisfaction with lowered nicotine content”. In this study, Rachel Denlinger- Apte PhD’21 and her team conducted a research and they found out that the lower the nicotine a cigarette has, the lower the satisfaction smoker gets from it. But it is not less dangerous because nicotine is still a toxic chemical. Even if it is less amount, it is still dangerous in the smokers body. With the less amount of nicotine in a cigarette, the less will people smoke, and much better, the more people will quit smoking.
The study shows how cigarette smoking affects our central nervous system which acts as a central nervous system stimulan. This affects the neurotransmitters which is responsible for learning, memory and cognition (Bergeson, 2018). According to (Pietrangelo, A. and Cherney, K), when a person smokes, the nicotine that comes from what they smoke reaches the brain in just a second and makes you feel more fire up for a while. If the nicotine slowly loses its effects, you think you feel the need of it more. And that is what makes people crave more for cigarette and also one of the reasons why they can’t stop smoking.
The study claims that adolescents have poor decision-making and risk-judging skills(Song et al., 2009). Therefore they believe that they are immune to harm of smoking. This belief of adolescents and other theories are the reasons why tobacco-use intervention programs are giving to the adolescents. Giving them knowledge about the risks of cigarette smoking; to decrease smoking initiations and increasing cessations. With this movement, adolescents will be more aware and to conscious of what smoking(risks) can really do to our body.
Calvin Wang (2008), states that not all young people has a clear understanding about addiction and it appears that some young people have misconceptions and unrealistic ideas about addiction. With this, they may have possibly influenced initial decision to start smoking. However, anti-smoking prevention targeted young students to generally emphasize and elaborate the ill-health effects of smoking. As for those who became addicted to smoking, they found out that it is not easy to quit; for cigarettes have an addictive substance in it. The majority number of addictive smokers regrets that they take up smoking but nevertheless, they continue to smoke for perhaps 30-40 years because they find it really hard to quit smoking.
According to this study about ‘Perception of smoker influence non-smoker attitudes and preferences for interactions’, the authors examine the non-smoker and the smokers about their perception in smoking and conducted 2 studies. Study 1 is about the smokers who answered questions about their self-dependency in smoking and their motivation to quit on smoking. Study 2 is about the non-smokers perceptions about the smokers and their characteristics. The results: It turns out that the non-smokers have more negative attitudes than smokers. The non-smokers were less willing to engage a close relationships with the smokers. Attitude intercedes the relationship between a type of smoker and a willingness to date a smoker. Eiser, Sutton, and Wober (1977) compared smokers’ self-reports and nonsmokers perceptions of addiction to smoking and they found that compared to smokers’ self-reports, nonsmokers overestimated how addicted smokers were(Dillard et al., 2013)
The available literature and studies show that parents, friends, peer pressure, cultural influences play major roles in whether adolescents take up smoking at such a young age. And also it provides information about their different perceptions about tobacco and smoking. Despite their knowledge of the unhealthy consequences of smoking, young people often fall victim to their surroundings. This presented literature will be the basis of the researchers for comparison of results with other related topics. However, presented literature and studies are not enough so that more research is needed to further explain and understand how smokers perceived smoking.
Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter describes the research design, participants, environment, research instruments, data gathering procedure, data analysis, and sampling procedure used in the study.
Research Design
The researchers will use Phenomenological study design to help us to identify how society, friends, peers, and other factors that affect them and urged them to smoke. We will be able to dig deeper into their own thoughts on their attitude towards other people because of smoking. This will be the best possible way for us to get answers and understand them more both as a researcher and as an individual. This is an open-ended and semi-structured question for us to convince the participants to share informations concerning their experience
Research Respondent
The Research Respondents will be the Senior High Students of xxx Catholic School. They are more likely around ages 16 to 19 years old. Since teenagers at this generation are at the state of self-discovery and curiosity, it would help future generations not to be in line with smoking.They will be ask about their perception on smoking why they smoke and what influences them to smoke.
Research Environment
The research environment will be conducted in the xxx Catholic School located in xxx. It is a private school established in 1917 and accredited by the PAASCU. Since xxx Catholic School is surrounded by night clubs and bars, it is possible that in the vicinity of xxx could influence students to smoke. To avoid this kind of situation, our goal is prevent students from xxx Catholic School be influence by other people.
Research Instrument
The following instruments will be used and will be a great help in the study:
1. Interview guide – This will be used to know the first hand-smokers perception in smoking through open-ended questions.
2. Voice Recorder – This will be used to record answers of the respondents during the interview.
3. Survey Questionnaires – This will be used to identify first hand-smokers among the Senior Hight School students.
Data gathering procedures
First a letter will be produce for a consent to conduct an interview with the respondents. This letter will be sent first to the school’s prinicipal for approval. After that, obtained permission to the adviser and subject teachers that would be affected by the time the researchers will gather data. Second, the researchers will prepare a Survey Questionnaires as their guid to determine their respondents. Third, they will prepare a semi-structured questions for the interview. Fourth, the researchers will conduct a survey to identify smokers among Senior High School students. After knowing who will be the target respondents, the researchers will now ask the respondents that they pick if they are willing to participate of the researchers study. Fifth, they will schedule date to conduct an interview with their respondents. Lastly, each interview the transcription of data will be processed to ensure all researchers have a copy of the document and arrange it by theme to make it simple for the researchers. With that, the researchers collated all the gathered data that led to findings and conclusion.
Data analysis
After everything was done, the researchers will analyze the data by what they have observe, collected, arranged. Second, the researchers will analyze it by categorizing the experiences of each respondents. Third, the researchers will define the similarities and differences of the respondents perceptions. Lastly, using all of those information, they will come up with a conclusion.Narrative analysis will be used in this using in-depth interviews in treating the data to determine different experiences of each respondents.
Sampling Procedure
The sampling procedure that will be used is purposive sampling. Respondents will be identified using a survey questionnaire.
2019-1-16-1547608285