CHAPTER I

Background of the Study

A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing burnable material, typically

tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. Smoking on the other hand, is
the act of inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning plant material.

Smoking cigarettes yield a complex, dynamic and reactive mixture of around

5,000 chemicals. Globally, it is one of the leading preventable causes of
respiratory tract complications, disability, and early deaths related to
complications.(PLoS One, 2019).

The influence of peers towards smoking has long been known as a major risk
factor for adolescent smoking. In addition, a study found that closer friends were
more likely to influence peers to start smoking when compared to more distant
friends. The closeness of peer friendships did not impact whether adolescents
who smoke continued to smoke, however, indicating that perhaps the addictive
nature of tobacco was an overriding factor. (University of Pennsylvania, 2017).

A study conducted that more than one sixth of the high school and university
students in Ethiopia smoke cigarette. Students who had peer pressure from their
friends were more likely to smoke cigarettes. Therefore, school-based intervention
programs are needed to reduce the high prevalence of cigarette smoking among
students in Ethiopia. (Leshargie CT, Alebel A, Kibret GD, Birhanu MY, Mulugeta
H, Malby P, et al, 2019).

The majority of studies on the hazards of cigarette smoking in children are linked
to secondhand smoke. However, very little is said about the dangers of smoking
initiation at an early age and the multiple tiggers involved and nicotine addiction.
(Makalinao, R. Awang, 2003).
The Philippines is the second biggest market for cigarettes in Asia.5 Being a
tobacco-growing country, it is one of the countries with high prevalence of tobacco
use in the Western Pacific Region.6 The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is
the global standard for monitoring youth tobacco use using a school-based survey.
It has been done in the country with the sixth and latest report being completed in
2019.7 Among 13 to 15 years old alone, 12.5% are current cigarette smokers (those
who smoked cigarettes anytime during the past 30 days) where 18.3% are males
while 6.9% are females. This number increases for those who ever smoked
cigarettes, even one or two puffs, to 26.8% with 36.0% males and 18.1% females.7,8
The National Capital Region (NCR) had the highest reported proportion of youth
smokers at 26.6%.9

In 2000-2003, approximately four in 10 students in the Philippines reported

ever smoking cigarettes (i.e., even one or two puffs): 42.8% in 2000 and 41.9% in
2003. Adolescent boys were significantly more likely than adolescent girls to have
ever smoked. Approximately one in eight students who had smoked cigarettes
reported smoking their first cigarette before age 10 years: 12.9% in 2000 and 12.7%
in 2003, with no significant difference between adolescent boys and girls (Baquilod,
MD, 2019).

A survey showed that approximately 31.6% of students in a tobacco-

producing region have tried smoking (compared to 29.6% in Metro Manila) (Quilala,D
& Fernandes L, 2007).This implies that a significantly higher incidence of smoking in
the family is observed in ever-smokers compared to non-smokers. For ever-
smokers, the primary reason for trying to smoke is peer influence.

Systematic global surveillance of youth tobacco use is the essential first step
in attempting to prevent the projected epidemic of death and disease that smoking
will cause in the 21st century, (Peto,2001).

The World Health Organization (WHO) came up with a Framework

Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty to respond to the tobacco epidemic. It
was developed to protect every person, including adolescents, from exposure to
tobacco and to inform everyone about the health consequences, addictive nature
and health risks associated with tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco
smoke (WHO, 2021).
 In the Philippines, although tobacco control efforts started in 1987, it was only
in 2003 that the Republic Act 9211, known as Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 was
passed. One of the law’s main thrusts is to protect the youth from starting a life-long
addiction to tobacco use by prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors. The
National Tobacco Control Strategy was developed to reduce the prevalence of
smoking and its effects, and to improve the health and lives of Filipinos (DOH, 2012)

An in-depth understanding of how peer pressure influence the senior high

school students smoking patter as a necessary to assist us establish important
strategies for preventive guidelines and facilitate the implementation of some
programs and policies which are geared towards eradication of smoking among
students.

The purpose of the study is to determine the prevalence of smoking among

high school students, and to try to analyze when and how peer pressure influence
the students’ smoking pattern.
Theoretical Framework

This study is supported by the theory Social Learning Theory by Albert

Bandura(1997). emphasizes the importance of observing, modelling, and
imitating the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Social
learning theory considers how both environmental and cognitive factors interact
to influence human learning and behavior.

This theory indeed constitutes a powerful stream for research on peers as a source
of influence and support for smoking behaviour. For example, Mosbach and
Leventhal (1988) revealed that “cigarette smoking was the best discriminator of
social group affiliations”. Adebiyi et al. (2010) in their study showed that “peer
influence is an important source of introduction to tobacco use”

The implication of this theory to the present study is that peer influence increases
during adolescence and have vital effects on their attitudes and behaviours, mostly
on the current incidence of tobacco use among senior high school students in
tertiary institutions.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the Study.

Statement of the Problem:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondent?

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Family Income

2. What are forms of smoking do the respondents engage with?

2.1 Cigarettes; and
2.2 Vape

3. To what extent that peer pressure influence student’s smoking behaviour in

terms of;
3.1 Behavior;
3.2. Personal; and
3.3. Environment?

4. Is there a significant effects of peer pressure towards student’s smoking

behaviour?

Hypothesis

There is no significant effects of peer pressure towards student’s smoking

behavior?
Significance of the study:

This study is significant to parents, readers, students and future researchers.

To The Students:

The research aids students in avoiding the negative effects of smoking

cigarette.

To The Parents:

This research helps parents to gain a better understanding of how the peer
pressure affects their children’s smoking behaviour.

To The Readers:

This research assists readers in comprehending of how peers influence

students in smoking.

To The Future Researchers:

This study will aid future researchers in conducting more and more advanced
studies in this matter.
Scopes and Limitations:

The goal of this research is to describe the impact of peer pressure as a key
factor on the smoking behaviour among senior high school students in
Zamboanga del Sur School of Arts and Trades. The purpose of this study’s
respondents is to educate the students about the repercussions of smoking
cigarettes/vape. The report is based on research using well-designed and
implemented facts that demonstrate how peer pressure impacts senior
highschool student’s smoking behaviour in a variety of ways. Its objectiive is to
investigate the cigarette/vape smokers among Zamboanga del Sur School of Arts
and Trades Senior Highschool Students.

The respondents will be only Senior Highschool Students in Zamboanga del

Sur School of Arts and Trades, and also the respondent’s identity will be
concealed.

Definition of Terms:

Cigarette - is a narrow cylinder containing burnable material, typically tobacco,

that is rolled into this paper for smoking.

Smoking - is the act of inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning plant material.

Peers - is one that is of equal standing with another.

Tobacco - is a plant with leaves that has high levels of the addictive chemical
nicotine.

Adolescent - in the process of developing from a child into an adult.

Peer pressure - a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of
one’s age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them.

Friendships - is the emotions or conduct of friends ; the state of being friends.

Chemicals - is a compound or substance that has been purified or prepared,

especially artificially.

High School - a school that typically comprises grade 7 through 12.

Hazard - a danger or risk.

Second hand smoke - smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked
by others.

Addictive - causing or likely to cause someone to become addicted.

Intervention - the action of process of intervening.

Prevalence - the fact or condition of being prevalent.

Inhalation - the action of inhaling or breathing in.

References:

Jiaying Liu, Siman Zhao, Xi Chen, Emily Falk, and Dolores Albarracín (2017).
Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5789806/

Susan T. Ennett, Ph.D.,corresponding author Vangie A. Foshee, Ph.D., Karl E.

Bauman, Ph.D., Andrea Hussong, Ph.D., Robert Faris, Ph.D., John R. Hipp, Ph
.D., and Li Cai, Ph.D. (2010).
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Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D. (2021).

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Marvin D. Krohn, William F. Skinner, James L. Massey and Ronald L. Akers

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