Bangad, Tinglayan - With young people developing smoking-related health problems, Nurse II Jaynes Ann Boacon calls on parents to take accountability, stressing that parents must model healthy behavior if they expect their children to stay away from harmful habits like smoking, urging them to lead by example.
During the “Road Safety Awareness cum Drug Symposium and Tree Planting” program initiated by the barangay officials alongside Vice Mayor Alex Malasi held at the Bangad National High School on August 15, 2025, Boacon expressed concern about the smoking-related health problems among the youth of Bangad.
In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, Boacon stressed that even without an increase in the number of patients, the situation remains deeply troubling.
Further, the Bangad Centro-based nurse shared that hypertension is a common smoking-related illness in the barangay. Another illness they documented is the Acquired Upper Respiratory Infective Cough (AURIC), a common illness affecting the nose, sinuses, throat, and voice box, and is most frequently seen among children exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
“Hypertension talaga ti common and chronic coughs for adults, nu connected ti smoking. AURIC naman for children, pwede ring related sa smoking and/or secondhand smoking. Kaadwan nga ubbing nga ipapa-checkup da kanyami ket nu kitan ta ti history da, either adda agsisigarilyo ti family or surroundings da. Kaya pala pabalik-balik yung ubo kasi exposed siya sa secondhand smoke,” she shared.
As for the students, Boacon said that aside from smoking as a vice, betel nut chewing, locally known as momma, is common among students in Bangad. Unfortunately, it is often ignored despite policies.
“….dagitoy met students, ti kakastoy nga edad da, ti very common kanyada ket momma. As in, kasi uray adda policy ket ma-disregard. As young as elementary, ag-momma’n. Kasla nga in-normalize dan, karkaru ditoy ayan tayo launay ta ado aglako ken adda lang met dita surroundings tayo gamin ti momma, ti resources,” Boacon relayed.
Betel nut, according to Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, is considered the fourth most addictive substance in the world after tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine, commonly chewed in many parts of Asia and the Pacific, including the Philippines and the Cordillera Region.
Said nut can be chewed alone, but many cultures mix it with a combination of ingredients. Moreover, its active ingredient, arecoline, produces feelings of euphoria and energy by stimulating the nervous system, which can cause sweating, tearing, and other bodily reactions.
When asked about her message, Boacon simply said that children’s health is mainly the parents’ responsibility, and health reminders mean little if parents themselves set a bad example, since kids imitate what they see.
“Nu health ti ubbing tayo, talaga nga responsibility metlang ti parents dayta nga mangkita ti health da. Kasi uray manu ti reminders mi from health sectors nu mismo metlang nga parents ket imod-model da dagidyay bawal, wala rin lang silbi. Kasi kitkitan da ti parents da, buybuyaen da ti vices da—isu nga nagdakkel talaga ti role ti parents nga mang-nurture iti health iti ubbing tayo; from nutrition, health and growth da,” she concluded.
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