Cigarette Prices Increase, Graphic Smoking Warnings in Philippines

Higher cigarette prices and graphic warnings will lessen the number of youth smokers in the country, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Health Justice Philippines. The survey, conducted by the Social Weather Stations between August 24 to 27, showed that of 1,200 minors aged 13 to 17 years old, 8 percent are current smokers, 4 percent are previous smokers, while 88 percent are non-smokers. The results of the survey were released Thursday at a weekly forum at the Senate as senators continued to debate on the controversial sin tax bill, which aims to raise taxes for alcohol and tobacco products. The survey said Filipino minors who are current smokers usually smoke five cigarettes a day. It also showed that most of the current smokers would stop smoking if each cigarette costs P10. It also said price is one of the top reasons why current smokers choose certain cigarette brands. The reasons specifically for smoking a particular brand are taste (34 percent), price (25 percent), 'just for kicks' (16 percent), to get rid of aftertaste (11 percent), the brand is preferred by family members or friends (9 percent), and the brand's prestige (2 percent). It said more than half of current smokers smoked Fortune (56 percent) in the past 30 days, followed by Marlboro (29 percent), Winston (2 percent), More (1 percent), Plaza (1 percent), Boss (1 percent), Hope (1 percent), and Philip Morris (1 percent). It added that preference for Fortune is higher in Luzon (62 percent), and Mindanao (62 percent) and Visayas (55 percent), while Marlboro is the preferred brand of minors in the National Capital Region (78 percent)