A sharp rise in teen smokers and vapers in the Philippines has alarmed youth advocates, with a national survey revealing that over 1 million individuals aged 10 to 19 picked up the habit in 2023 alone.
The data, released by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) through its 2023 National Nutrition Survey, sheds light on the growing vulnerability of Filipino adolescents to tobacco and nicotine products. The country is already grappling with more than 15 million adult smokers and contributing to the global death toll of over 8 million due to tobacco use each year.
In response, the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) on Friday launched “TobaccOFF NOW!” — a youth-led national movement determined to protect the next generation from the grips of nicotine addiction.
“Nang makausap natin ang mga kabataan, aware sila sa mga tactics ng industriya tulad ng sa flavors at packaging na appealing daw sa marami sa kanila,” said PYDN Executive Director Jeannie Anne Maguad in a GMA News Online report. “At willing silang sumama sa ating movement para protektahan ang kanilang kinabukasan.”
The campaign, unveiled at the “Taking Back Our Future” event in Quezon City, was developed through a series of workshops in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Oriental Mindoro, and Dinagat Islands from March to May this year, involving 126 youth participants and an online survey of 170 respondents.
“The TobaccOFF NOW! movement is a collective voice of the youth,” said Communications Lead Vonn Vincent Tanchuan. “This is the youth telling the tobacco industry that they are ready to take back their future.”
The initiative targets reaching 10 million young people through social media and community events, aiming to rally 10,000 youth advocates nationwide before its conclusion in January 2026.
Key advocacy points include raising the legal age for nicotine product purchases to 21, banning flavored nicotine items, restricting access channels, and implementing stricter regulations on advertising and promotion.
“Bilang tagapagtanggol ng kabataang Pilipino, nais naming ang kampanyang ito ay maging daan tungo sa mas malusog na kinabukasan,” Maguad added.
