TWO in 10 iKalingas smoke cigarettes, One in 10 use vapes — Global Adult Tobacco Survey

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — More than two in 10 Kalinga residents aged 15 and older surveyed in 2023 were current cigarette smokers, while more than one in 10 reported using electronic cigarettes or vapes, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

The survey recorded a 22.5-percent current cigarette-smoking rate, with smoking prevalence higher among males at 35.1 percent compared with 7.7 percent among females.

Current e-cigarette or vape use was reported by 10.6 percent of respondents, including 7.5 percent of males and 3.1 percent of females.

The survey was conducted by the Kalinga Provincial Health Office (OPHO) in partnership with the Saint Louis University-School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, covering 423 respondents aged 15 and older from the province’s municipalities and Tabuk City.

The GATS also showed continued exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in various settings.

Among the reported figures, 49.7 percent of smokers and 51 percent of nonsmokers were exposed to secondhand smoke at work. SHS exposure was also recorded in government offices (23.7 percent), health care facilities (11.7 percent), restaurants (40 percent), and public transportation (39.7 percent).

The findings indicate that exposure to tobacco smoke extends beyond individuals who smoke, with nonsmokers also encountering secondhand smoke in workplaces and public places.

GATS is a standardized household survey designed to monitor adult tobacco use and key tobacco-control measures. It provides data that can be used to guide and track tobacco-control policies and interventions and allows countries to compare tobacco-use patterns and control measures.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported in its 2023 and 2024 mortality data that heart disease, cancer and stroke were among the leading causes of death in the country. Tobacco use is a recognized risk factor for these diseases.

Meanwhile, Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Edward Tandingan has expressed support for the proposed Smoke-Free and Vape-Free Environment Act, citing the importance of protecting communities, particularly young people, from exposure to tobacco and vape products.