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Cheap cigarettes drive more rural folk to smoke
The continuing dumping of cheap cigarette and tobacco products in the rural areas has reportedly driven more rural folk into smoking the cancer-causing product.
Dr. Virginia Sulit, a government pulmonologist, said more rural residents now suffer from various illnesses due to smoking.
At an orientation on Tuberculosis (TB) here, Sulit pointed out that a single puff of cigarette contains more than 4,000 toxic chemicals, at least 43 of which may cause cancer in different parts of the body.
She said these chemicals reportedly include formaldehyde or formalin, ammonia, carbon monoxide and nicotine.
Nicotine could trigger addictive effects similar to some dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine.
Sulit said the risk of developing a serious illness due to smoking may reduce by 50 percent if a person quits smoking before reaching the age of 50 years old.
"The risk of death is likewise lowered each year if one quits smoking," she said.
Sulit said some of the ill effects of smoking are cancer of the lungs, throat, bile, kidney, heart disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, addiction and premature delivery among pregnant women.
"If a smoker is really determined to quit smoking, he could easily do it," she said.
Sulit said studies showed that quitting from smoking is more of a mental work and largely depends on the determination of the smoker to quit.
She said only around 10 percent of the smokers may be classified as "really addicted to smoking."
Sulit advised those who plan to quit smoking, to attend personal counseling, group therapies, behavioral modifications and family or peer counseling sessions.
In 2003, Batas Pambansa 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act was enacted to prohibit smoking in public places and designated smoking areas.
It also provided for the placement of warnings on cigarette labels regarding the dangers caused by smoking and equired the airing or printing of such warning in advertisements on radio, television and print media.
The passage of the law was aimed at making the populace realize the ill effects of smoking.
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