Smoking Thesis Background of the Study

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The use of tobacco for smoking has been practiced for centuries. The tobacco plant has been grown in America since the 17th century and tobacco has been used in various forms since. The form of smoking tobacco by rolling the leaves in fine paper was frequently done by hand for those who practiced it, which limited the habit of smoking. In 1865, a man named Washington Duke from North Carolina began to roll cigarettes and sell them to others for profit. Tobacco was introduced in the Philippines in the late 16th century during the era of Spanish colonization when the Augustinians brought cigar tobacco seeds to the colony for cultivation. In 1686, William Dampier visited Mindanao and observed that smoking was a widespread custom. It had also become an article of foreign trade with the Dutch from Tidore and Ternate buying rice, beeswax and tobacco from the Spanish colony. Republic Act No. 9211, otherwise known as the "Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003", makes it unlawful for any person under the age of 18 years to purchase, sell or smoke tobacco products. Yet a survey conducted by the Department of Health revealed that children as young as five years old are already starting to smoke. The Tobacco Regulation Act also implements certain restrictions and bans on tobacco-related advertisements, endorsements, sponsorships and packaging. The Tobacco Regulation Act bans smoking in public places such
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as schools and recreational facilities, elevators and stairwells, hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, public conveyances and public facilities such as airports and ship terminals, train and bus stations, restaurants and conference halls, with the exception of separate smoking rooms. According to the Philippine’s data or fact sheet, 28.3% among adults 15 years or older, were current tobacco smokers, representing 17.3 million Filipinos. 13.8 million or approximately 22.5% Filipinos smoke every day. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ten Filipinos die every hour from illnesses caused by smoking while the country loses nearly P500 billion annually from health care costs and productivity losses, according to an anti-tobacco group. A Chinese pharmacist and smoker, Han Lik, set forth to develop electronic cigarettes after his father died of lung cancer. Seeing a way to transform tragedy into a positive, he created this method that enabled smokers to have nicotine through inhalation, without smoke, tobacco, and the many thousands of chemicals that are part of the production of cigarettes. The company he worked for was in support of him fully, and through their backing, Lik turned his ideas into reality. The company then assumed the name Ruyan, meaning “like smoke.” The Chinese market took to them almost immediately.
The success spread, and soon electronic cigarettes were embraced by many nations in Europe. Europeans have always been well known for their smoking
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habits, and this change was quite monumental. Electronic cigarettes are still making history in 2013. Millions of people have opted for them, and many more are making the switch. While many people are still dealing with electronic cigarette bans in their states, they are still being sold throughout the U.S. Regardless of how the politics play out, it is apparent that smokers want viable alternatives to cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes are clearly working for many. Manufacturers claim that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has questioned the safety of these products. When the FDA analyzed samples of two popular brands, they found variable amounts of nicotine and traces of toxic chemicals, including known cancer-causing substances (carcinogens). This prompted the FDA to issue a warning about potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes.