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Minors defy laws on drugs, tobacco ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – Filipino students 13 to 17 years old already smoke tobacco, drink alcohol and take illegal drugs, results of the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2015 showed.
Twelve schools in Western Visayas were part of the survey. The Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 was alarmed.
“This is worrisome. Where do these youngsters get tobacco? It is illegal to sell cigarettes to minors,” said John Lapascua, senior health program officer of DOH Region 6. However, he did not name the schools.
Local government units (LGUs) may not be enforcing the law prohibiting the sale, he surmised.
Lapascua said the survey should prompt LGUs to “create policies to help our youth aged 13 to 17.”
The nationwide survey was conducted in February 2015. There were 8,761 student-respondents. It showed 14.6 percent of students smoked tobacco at least one day during the 30 days prior to the survey.
According to Lapascua, Section 9 (a) of Republic Act (RA) 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 made it unlawful for any retailer of tobacco products to sell or distribute the same to any minor (aged 18 below).
“LGUs should remind retailers about this law and warn them against violating it,” said Lapascua.
The Global School-based Student Health Survey 2015 also revealed that 18.2 percent of students drank alcohol at least one day during the 30 days prior to the survey.
Also, 6.9 percent of students used marijuana at least once, the survey showed.
“Who supplies them with marijuana? This is illegal,” said Lapascua.
Aside from LGUs, parents have a big role to play, too, in shielding the youth from these destructive vices, he stressed.
“Let us be good examples to our children. Let’s practice a healthy lifestyle. Avoid smoking, illegal drugs and alcohol,” said Lapascua.
The survey also included data on the youth’s mental health. A total of 11.5 percent of students seriously considered attempting suicide within 12 months prior to the survey.
Other survey data were:
* 10.7 percent of students were underweight
* 94.1 percent of students brushed their teeth at least once a day./PN
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