Tabuk City, Kalinga – It is not only that the prevalence of smoking in Kalinga is higher than the national survey result on prevalence of smoking, a study also found that the youngest smoker or someone who started trying to smoke was about 8 – 9 years old.
In 2023, the Kalinga Provincial Health Office together with the non-stock and non-profit organization, Transcending Institutions and Communities Inc. (Transcend) and the Saint Louis University – School of Medicine conducted the Kalinga Adults Tobacco Survey (KATS).
The survey was made to determine the prevalence of tobacco, vape, and momma use among 15 years old and older in Kalinga. The collection of data aimed to serve as baseline information in the tobacco control program in the province.
Using a sample size of 423, the study found out that 22.5% identify themselves as smokers. This is higher than the 19% national survey result.
Dr. Nelson Hora, Head of the Family and Community Medicine at SLU, presented the data before the press in Kalinga Province on August 14, underlining that 40.7% of their respondents have tried using tobacco and that 20.3% of those who have tried the product are young individuals ages 15 years old and below. The youngest smoker is 8 – 9 years old.
Based on the survey, 8 out of 10 smokers said they want to stop.
Momma and vape use in Kalinga
The KATS disclosed that 10.6% are using vape or e-cigarettes and 73.7% of these users have bought the material online. 26.3% acquired it at a store. This data led into the conclusion that it may be harder to regulate the sale and use of vape as they are widely available to the public online.
As for the chewing of momma, 31.2% said they are chewing betel quid and that 93.9% of them started when they were only 7 – 15 years old. Among the top reasons cited for this include pleasure (43.9%) and due to peer influence (34.1%).
‘Policies start with the having numbers as basis’
Transcend Project Manager, Cecille Agpawa stressed that the data they obtained serve as the basis for future endeavors of the tobacco control program of the government in Kalinga. It will likewise be the baseline data which will determine if the implementation of the program is effective.
“We hope that it could be of use to the Province of Kalinga to further the program that we have for the tobacco control… Marami pa po tayong gagawin, umpisa lang po ito,” she said, adding that there will be a lot of things to be done in the implementation of the tobacco control and that it will take years for the impact to be seen as change does not happen overnight.
.png)
Comments