Jump to full article: Manila Bulletin (ph), 2010-03-19
Author: JENNY F. MANONGDO
Intro: Some 29.8 million Filipinos are exposed to cigarette smoke inside their homes, a national survey said, prompting health authorities to campaign against smoking even inside homes and in public places.
The first Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that "almost half of Filipinos," or 48.8 percent of those who were surveyed, are inhaling tobacco smoke inside their dwellings while 54 percent, representing 32.9 million of the population reported that someone smokes inside their homes.
The GATS 2009 gathered a total of 9,705 individuals 15 years old and above living in rural and urban areas nationwide. The number represents 61.3 million Filipinos in this age bracket.
Interestingly, the knowledge, perception and attitude of the surveyed population on the ill effects of tobacco smoking were high.
Ninety-four percent of them know that smoking causes serious diseases; 95.6 percent believe that smoking can cause lung cancer, 81.3 percent believe smoking can lead to heart attack, and 75.5 percent are aware that smoking can cause stroke.
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