The Live Experiences of the Teenager Addiction

to Smoking in Tibal-og, Santo. Tomas

A Research Paper Presented to the Research Review Committee of

Public Administration Program
Santo Tomas College of Agriculture, Sciences, and Technology
Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Public Administration

SECUYA, CHANLEE P.
ENRIQUEZ, LOVELY E.

DECEMBER 2022
 The Live Experiences of the Teenager Addiction
to Smoking in Tibal-og, Santo. Tomas

_______________

A Research Paper Presented to the Research Review Committee of

Public Administration Program
Santo Tomas College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology
Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte

_______________

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Public Administration

_______________

SECUYA, CHANLEE P.
ENRIQUEZ, LOVELY E.
_______________

December 2022
Chapter 1
 INTRODUCTION

The problem or the research content is being introduced in this chapter.

The first chapter presents the rationale of the study, purpose of the study,

research question, theoretical lens, significance of the study as well as the

delimitations and limitations of the study. Additionally, related literature is

discussed in this chapter to deeply understand the concept of this study. This

research study also includes the definition of terms to help readers understand

the study’s core ideas.

Rationale

Smoking is one of the largest public health problems since it is responsible

for six million deaths annually worldwide. The leading causes of death are cancer

(lung cancer being the most common), ischemic heart disease, chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke. (WHO Report on the Global

Tobacco Epidemic, 2011. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2011.)

Many children and adolescents initiate smoking annually making the

existing smoking epidemic worse. Starting smoking at a young age bears great

danger. Young people are more susceptible to risks associated with smoking.

Growth has not been completed and the harmful components of tobacco impair

the organs of the young. It has been indicated that the younger the age the

stronger the addiction. Moreover, the longer the organs are been exposed to

smoke the greater the danger for the appearance of smoking related diseases

such as COPD or lung cancer. The reason why a child or an adolescent begins

smoking varies and differs by gender, race and educational level. The exact age
of beginning smoking also varies and is not the same in all populations. The risk

of smoking initiation can be higher due to family and social causes in order to

participate more easily in social groups; due to boredom or stress during their

military service or during their stay in college; also, due to social beliefs that

promote smoking. For students whose parents smoke is easier to start smoking.

Until now it was believed that parents could do little to prevent their children from

smoking initiation. If an adolescent’s parent smokes, the adolescent himself also

may become a smoker but also if an adolescent’s parent has in the past quit

smoking, himself won’t start smoking so easily. In the US, adolescents who knew

that both their parents would be opposed to smoking would not initiate smoking;

also, parents themselves with their acts can prevent their children from initiating

smoking. (https://arh.amegroups.com/article/view/3726/4486)

Adult smoking has its roots in adolescence. If individuals do not initiate

smoking during this period, it is unlikely, they ever will. In high income countries,

smoking rates among Indigenous youth are disproportionately high. However,

despite a wealth of literature in other populations, there is less evidence on the

determinants of smoking initiation among Indigenous youth. The aim of this study

was to explore the determinants of smoking among Australian Indigenous young

people with a particular emphasis on the social and cultural processes that

underlie tobacco use patterns among this group.

(https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-12-963)
Significance of the study

This study will be undertaken to find out the live experiences of the

teenagers’ addiction to smoking in Tibal-og Santo Tomas.

Benefiting the study are the various sectors as follows:

Students. This study will help them understand other live experiences of the

teenager’s addiction to smoking.

Parents. This will help them gain more knowledge on how important a parental

guidance to the kids to avoid smoking addiction.

Teachers. This study will help them as additional information on the live

experiences of the teenager’s addiction to smoking.

School. It will help the administration to determine what specific areas they

should focus more to help students who are addicted in smoking.

Future Researchers. This research will be a useful reference for the

researchers who would plan to make any related study precisely the standard

underlying the causes of smoke addiction of teenagers and their live

experiences.

Statement of the Problem

The study was aimed to present the Live Experiences of the Teenager Addiction

to Smoking in Tibal-og Sto. Tomas. Specifically, it aims to answer the following

questions:
 1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Gender; and

1.2 Age?

2. Frequency of smoking on teenagers.

3. How dependent are teenagers in smoking.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined in two ways; conceptually and operationally.

Smoking - the action or habit of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco by

sucking on the end of a lit cigarette, cigar, pipe, etc.

Addiction - the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing,

or activity.

Experiences - practical contact with and observation of facts or events.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of the related literature and studies to the

proposed study to determine the similarities and differences of the previous

studies and to gain insights into the aspects of the problem. This is divided in

three parts namely; related legal basis, related literature, related studies.

Legal Basis

Tobacco use is responsible for six million preventable deaths worldwide

annually, with many of these deaths occurring prematurely, data from World

Health Organization showed. An additional 600,000 people are estimated to die

from being exposed to secondhand smoke. Tobacco uses also asserts direct and

indirect costs to the economy, including healthcare expenditure, productivity loss,

absenteeism, and other socioeconomic costs. The economic impact of early

death, disability, and lost productivity contributes to the burden of poverty,

retarding national development, and further widening of gap in health status

between population groups. At an individual level, a portion of income of a

tobacco dependent consumer is diverted away from meaningful and more

important household purchases and investments such as food, education, and

health. More upsetting is the fact that 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live

in low- and middle- income countries like the Philippines, according to the same

WHO data. (https://doh.gov.ph/Tobacco-Control-Key-facts-and-Figures)

 Republic Act No. 9211, also known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of

2003, is an omnibus law regulating smoking in public places, tobacco advertising,

promotion and sponsorship, and sales restrictions, among other requirements.

The Inter-Agency Tobacco-Committee issued Implementing Rules and

Regulations of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003. The Committee’s

Implementing Rules and Regulations are comprehensive and cover a broad

range of topics on tobacco control. In addition to the advertising, promotion and

sponsorship provisions in Rep. Act No. 9211 and the Implementing Rules and

Regulations, the Consumer Act of the Philippines (Rep. Act No. 7394) addresses

false, deceptive, or misleading advertising in general.

Public smoking restrictions are further regulated by two circulars: (1) Land

Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board of the Department of

Transportation and Communications Memo, Circular No. 2009-036 (regarding

smoking in public utility vehicles and land transportation terminals) and (2) Civil

Service Commission Memo, Circular No. 17, s. 2009 (regarding smoking in all

areas of government premises, buildings, and grounds). Executive Order No. 26

of 2017 imposes strict standards for designated smoking areas (DSAs), imposes

duties on persons in charge of public places, prohibits advertising outside point of

sale retail establishments, and addresses some other sales and advertising

restrictions. The law prohibits the sale of small packets of cigarettes and the sale

of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools, playgrounds, and other

facilities frequented by minors. In addition, the law restricts sales via vending

machines. There are no restrictions on internet sales or the sale of single

cigarettes. The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of

21.

RA 8749, Section 24. Pollution From Smoking. - Smoking inside a public

building or an enclosed public place including public vehicles and other means of

transport or in any enclosed area outside of one's private residence, private place

of work or any duly designated smoking area is hereby prohibited under this Act.

Related Literature

Adolescent smoking was associated with age, ethnicity, family structure,

parental socioeconomic status, personal income, parental smoking, parental

attitudes, sibling smoking, peer smoking, peer attitudes and norms, family

environment, attachment to family and friends, school factors, risk behaviors,

lifestyle, stress, depression/distress, self-esteem, attitudes, and health concerns.

It is unclear whether adolescent smoking is related to other psychosocial

variables.

(https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/7/4/409)

According to a report of the University of Illinois Anti-Smoking Education

Study, factors in the environment that potentially influence initiation and

maintenance of smoking by adolescents have been the focus of many

investigations since early studies demonstrated the importance of peer and

parental smoking as risk factors. The broad categories that have been studied

are: smoking among parents, siblings and peers; attitudes and norms about

smoking (including parental reactions to smoking by their children); family

environment; and attachment to family and friends. Availability and ease of

acquiring cigarettes are also environmental factors that can have an impact on

smoking among adolescents. Interpretation of these studies was complicated by

inconsistencies in the outcome variable (smoking status, intentions, initiation, and

attitudes); the different combinations of predictor variables; the range of methods

and populations; and the variety of analytical approaches that have been used.

The impact of parental smoking has been studied in a wide range of

contexts in a large number of studies with a variety of outcomes. Approximately

twice as many of the reviewed studies have found a significantly increased risk of

adolescent smoking with parental smoking—for example, then have noted a non-

significant association. Studies examining the effect of paternal and maternal

smoking separately have reported both to be significant, non-significant, or each

one significant while the other was not. Some of the inconsistencies may reflect

gender-specific differences: parental smoking may be more important for girls

than boys because several studies reported a significant effect only for girls

whereas none found the reverse. It is unclear whether parental smoking has a

stronger influence when it occurs in the same-gender parent: reports have both

supported and opposed this hypothesis. A dose-response effect may also be

present, with a stronger influence if both parents smoke. Finally, some reports

noted that the significance of parental smoking depended on the outcome

studied. It was significant only for intention to smoke and not for current smoking

in one study. Another study found paternal smoking significant for current
smoking but not for experimental smoking, whereas maternal smoking was

significant for both.

(https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/7/4/409#xref-ref-76-1)

According to O’ Callaghan et al, she modified the reasoned action

incorporating past behavior; attitude towards smoking, past behavior in relation to

smoking and perceptions of what other significant subjects think they should do

were significant predictors of their intentions to smoke. Smoking in terms of

social learning theory depends greatly on actual and anticipated consequences,

in other words, outcome expectations, perceived prevalence, normative

expectations.

There is a general consensus in the literature that adolescents are

susceptible to peer influences, to engage in risky behaviors, including smoking.

Previous studies have identified the desire for social status as an important

motivation. The clear implication is that influence on smoking behavior from

popular peers is stronger than influence from unpopular peers. We test this

hypothesis using four waves of panel data from AddHealth. These data are

unusual in providing a nearly complete social network of the school population,

with which to measure popularity as the respondent’s eigenvector centrality in the

network. An important limitation of these data is “the reflection problem.” We

address challenges to causal inference posed by selection and contextual effects

using school fixed effects, lagged measures of smoking adoption, and

instrumental variables.

(https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189360)
Related Studies

Use of tobacco fits the definition of an addiction, including continued use

in spite of harmful consequences and repeated attempts to stop, so it is

important to stay tobacco free or stop smoking before it becomes habitual. Since

the perceptions of young people about smoking may influence their decision to

start smoking, it is important to understand the feelings of early adolescents

about smoking and to know about their sources of information, knowledge and

attitudes regarding smoking. In this way it may be possible to establish effective

educational programs for adolescents before they become used to smoking.

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018953/)

According to Plos One journal, previous research points to peer influence

as an important cause of adolescent smoking. Adolescents are especially

vulnerable to social influence as they try to fit in with their peers. Numerous

studies suggest that some smokers believe that smoking promotes social status,

and yet previous research has failed to test a key implication: that the propensity

to smoke may increase with the popularity of smokers among peers. In other

contexts, peer influence has been found to increase with their social status, but

no previous studies have empirically tested the effects of the social status of

adolescent smokers on the spread of smoking through peer networks. The need

to empirically test this status-belief explanation is the starting point for our study.

(https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189360)
 American Lung Association studies shows that, every day, almost 2,500

children under 18 years of age try their first cigarette, and more than 400 of them

will become new, regular daily smokers. Half of them will ultimately die from their

habit. People who start smoking at an early age are more likely to develop a

severe addiction to nicotine than those who start at a later age. Of adolescents

who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, most of them report

that they would like to quit, but are not able to do so. If current tobacco uses

patterns persist, an estimated 5.6 million of today’s youth under age 18

eventually will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease. Cigarette

smoking during childhood and adolescence causes significant health problems

among young people, including an increase in the number and severity of

respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness and potential effects on lung

growth and function. Most importantly, this is when an addiction to smoking

takes hold, often lasting into and sometimes throughout adulthood. Among adults

who have ever smoked daily, 87% had tried their first cigarette by the time they

were 18 years of age, and 95% had by age 21.

In 2015, 9.3% of high school students reported smoking cigarettes in the

last 30 days, down 74% from 36.4% in 1997 when rates peaked after increasing

throughout the first half of the 1990s. 2.3% of middle school students smoked

cigarettes in the last 30 days. Rates of overall tobacco use remain high, however.

In 2015, 25.3% of high school students and 7.4% of middle school students used

a tobacco product. Among high school students in 2015, the most prevalent

forms of tobacco used were electronic cigarettes (16%), cigarettes (9.3%), cigars
(8.6%) and hookah (7.2%). About half of middle and high school students

reported using two or more tobacco products in the past 30 days. Since 1990,

teenagers and young adults have had the highest rates of maternal smoking

during pregnancy. In 2014, 10.2% of female teens aged 15 to 19 and 13% of

women aged 20 to 24 smoked during pregnancy. In 2014, around 62% of current

smokers in both middle and high school seriously thought about quitting. Seventy

percent of middle school and 59% of high school current smokers had tried to

quit smoking for one day or more. (https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-

facts/tobacco-use-among-children)
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter of the research paper presents the methods and procedures

as used in seeking the relevant and important information and evidences under

this study. This includes the research design, role of the researchers, research

participants, data collection, data analysis, trustworthiness, and ethical

considerations in this study.

Research Design

This study utilized a qualitative research design in descriptive approach.

As a humanistic or idealistic method, qualitative research focuses on

understanding a study query. People’s views, experiences, attitudes, behavior,

and interactions are studied using qualitative methods. It generates non-

numerical data and is known for its capacity to offer a new dimension to

interventional research that cannot be achieved solely by variable measurement.

The qualitative approach allows for a more in-depth examination of data, and it

enriches clinical studies by increasing user participation (Pathak et al., 2013).

In this study, the researchers used qualitative research format which is

the study of things in their natural settings, tempting to make sense of, or

interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings, people bring to them. Because

this study only concerned itself with examining a research topic that is less

researched, qualitative research design was chosen as the best methodology to

apply. Furthermore, this study did not use experimental approaches to quantify

variables or test different experimental approach.

The descriptive qualitative research design was used in this study, which

is the least "theoretical" of all the qualitative approaches. For a qualitative

research design, qualitative descriptive is a feasible and acceptable title. As a

result, a basic/fundamental qualitative descriptive design is a useful method on

its own. Moreover, qualitative descriptive research tends to be influenced by

naturalistic inquiry, which is a dedication to studying something in its natural

state to the extent that it is practicable within the confines of the research arena.

Hence, some of the overtones of the other methodologies may be present in

qualitative descriptive investigations. The purpose of a qualitative descriptive

study was to provide a complete summary of specific events experienced by

individuals or groups of individuals in everyday works. The goal, like with any

qualitative research design, is to collect instances that are regarded to be rich in

information for the researchers to be able to defend their sample procedures to

accomplish the goals of their studies. The sampling, data gathering, analysis,
and re-presentation strategies used in qualitative descriptive designs are often

eclectic but reasonable. When precise descriptions of occurrences are required,

qualitative descriptive research is the approach of choice (Lambert & Lambert,

2012).

In this study, the qualitative descriptive method was used since it is well

suited to this academic activity. Given that the study’s sole purpose was to

account for naturalistic inquiry, which was the dedication to studying something

in its natural state to the extent that it is practicable within the confines of the

research arena, which was the live experiences of the teenager addiction of

smoking and it is recognized that a descriptive study in the research setting was

necessary.

Role of Researchers

As a group of researchers was assigned to probe this subject, we

collectively agreed upon dividing the labor among all of the members to ensure

the accomplishment of this inquiry. First, we shaped the concept of our study.

Then, looked for and paraphrased literatures to provide background knowledge

about the study. Afterwards, some of us became audio recorders, interviewer

and moderator to regulate the conduct of the study as well as the discussions.

Then became transcribers and translators of the verbatim statements provided

by the informants and participants (Moustakas, 1994).

With regards to our basic roles, we did the principles which stated that

qualitative inquiry is for researchers who are willing to commit extensive time to
collect data, engaged in data analysis, does reflexivity, and write long passages

by themselves. Hence, we played many roles as a researcher such as

interviewer, transcriber, translator, analyst, and encoder (Corbin & Strauss,

2014). As an interviewer, the researchers showed empathy and interest to make

participants be active in their story telling. During the interview and observation,

we applied some techniques like asking probing questions, listening and

thinking, then asking more probing questions to get the deeper levels of the

conversation. As a transcriber and encoder, we transcribed all the recorded

interviews, and translated correctly and organized them into Standard English

statements. We employed suitable analysis methods and procedures fitted for a

qualitative research as an analyst, such as thematic analysis. Lastly, it was the

duty of the researcher to interpret the meanings of hidden data (Corbin &

Strauss, 2014).

Research Participants

The key participants of this study are some chosen teenagers ages 13-18

living in Tibal-og Santo Tomas Davao del Norte. Specifically, there were 10

identified respondents who were selected based on prescribed preinclusion

criteria. Hence, these 10 served as research participants for the study. The

descriptive approach was used in determining the participants and informants to

ensure the acquisition of authentic experiences relevant to the study.

In this qualitative descriptive study, a sample size can be as little as three

to five people, with a maximum of roughly 20. A qualitative descriptive study is

frequently smaller than in other qualitative designs and is chosen with care and
purpose. Participants in this type of study must meet several criteria: they must

have witnessed the phenomenon under study, they must be able to

communicate with the researcher, and they must be willing to tell their stories

and experiences through answering the questionnaire to a researcher who is

interested in learning about their experiences (Magilvy & Thomas, 2009).

Data Collection

The researchers took specific steps in collecting our data and relevant

information for our study. Before the conduct of the study, the first meeting with

the members of the group as well as asking verification from our research

adviser as to what and how we are going to conduct our research study. We

discussed about the materials needed in conducting the study such as

questionnaires, gadgets and any other devices to be used. After that we humbly

asked the permission of our informants related to our study. We request to read

and understand our consent form and agreement form before conducting the

study. These forms contain the condition specifying that the informant’s

participants are voluntary and that they were willing to impart their knowledge

essentially needed in the success of this study.

Furthermore, the informants and the researchers should both get the

benefits in the research. The informants gave the chance to unload their

perceptions based on the experiences that they have which was the substantial

components in making this study successful.

Research Instrument
 The instrument used in this study was a survey questionnaire adapted

from Department of Health, Cambridge University and Illinois University survey

questionnaire for youth smoking addiction. And a parameter scale with

descriptive equivalent and interpretation to identify the average number and level

of the respondents.

Percentage Descriptive Descriptive

Score Equivalent Interpretation

68% - 100% Highly Respondent shows that he/she is

Dependent relying on smoking to be able to

survive.

35% - 67% Moderately Respondent shows moderate

Dependent dependence on smoking.

 0% - 34% Minimally Respondent shows minimally

Dependent dependence on smoking.

Statistical Treatment of the Data

The statistical techniques to be used in analyzing and interpreting the data

and testing the study includes the frequency, percentage and the mean.

Frequency- will be used to determine the distribution of the profile of the

respondents

Percentage-will be used to determine the number of the profile

Mean- will be used to determine the average of users on a specific level.