The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) enjoins the public to support the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2021 GATS) that started on November 3 and ends on to December 4.
The 2021 GATS is a nationally representative household survey of adults 15 years of age or older designed to systematically monitor adult tobacco use, the PSA said.
Commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH), the World Health Organization (WHO), US Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International will provide the technical support.
The 2021 GATS aims to gather information on adult tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and key tobacco control indicators across the country.
It intends to provide estimates of tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoking, quit attempts, and other key tobacco control indicators at the urban/rural level, PSA said.
The 2021 GATS is the third survey of its kind to be administered in the country. In between 2009 and 2015, effective strides were made in regard to tobacco control measures. These include restructuring of excise taxes on tobacco products, development and implementation of tobacco ordinances by Local Government Units (LGUs), placement of graphic health warnings in packages and billboards, and implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, PSA added.
PSA-Benguet Provincial Statistical Office said that 22 field interviewers and five team supervisors in good health condition and will strictly follow precautionary measures against COVID-19 will visit the 2,062 sample households in Baguio City and 98 sample households in Benguet.
