Smoking Prevalence Down in the Philippines

The share of tobacco use among Filipinos aged 15 and above decreased to 19.5 percent of the population in 2021, reports GMA News Online, citing results of the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

Vito Roque Jr. of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau attributed the decline to the adoption and implementation of tobacco prevention and control health policies and interventions. “The results also reflect the effectiveness of the enforced key policies on tobacco taxation, graphic health warnings, protection of bureaucracy against tobacco industry interference and smoke-free environments,” he added.

Rising cigarette prices may have played a role as well. In 2009, a cigarette pack in the Philippines cost on average PHP30 ($0.54). By 2021, this figure had increased to PHP100 per box.

Based on the 2021 GATS results, one in every five Filipino adults, or 15.1 million adults, currently use tobacco, among whom the percentage of males (34.7 percent) who currently use tobacco was eight times higher than females (4.2 percent).

Meanwhile, at least 11.2 million adults currently smoke daily, or about 14.5 percent of the adult population. The percentage of male smokers who smoke daily (26.3 percent) is nearly nine times higher than the percentage of women smokers who smoke daily (3.6 percent).

The average number of cigarettes smoked per day among daily cigarette smokers was 10.5 sticks, with men smoking a daily average of 10.8 sticks and women 6.7 sticks.

The survey said that the overall prevalence of those who have ever used e-cigarettes among all adults was 5.7 percent while the current use of e-cigarettes was 2.1 percent.