Youth-led films expose the hidden toll of smoking and vaping
It’s common to hear someone say, “You should quit smoking for your own good.” But for many, the real wake-up call comes from seeing a loved one caught in the smoke. A child’s discomfort, a partner’s worry, or a friend’s concern can be enough to spark change.
That idea was at the heart of the TobaccOFF NOW! Film Festival advanced media screening at Cinema 76 Film Society held on Dec. 10, where young filmmakers presented short films about the effects of smoking and vaping on people close to the user.
The short films explored how smoking and vaping affect the people around someone who uses them—sometimes quietly, sometimes in ways that linger.
Amber Studios co-founder and journalist Jacque Manabat spoke after the screening, saying quitting is rarely just about willpower. For many, she said, it begins with the people they love.
“It’s hard to let go of things that gave us comfort,” she said. “But you can give something up if it’s for others—especially for the ones you love. And that’s what our documentaries are about: giving children the smoke-free future they deserve.”
Manabat added that the project also pushes back against how vaping is promoted online, where colorful designs and slick videos make the habit look harmless to teens. These films, she said, offer a counterpoint grounded in what young people actually see in their homes, schools, and friend groups.
HealthJustice Philippines’ Ralph Degollacion said the concern goes beyond individual choices. He described the films as “validation that we’ve been doing something right in the past years,” noting that youth voices have become essential in a time “when there’s so much misinformation and harmful products targeting the youth.”
He pointed to numbers that worry public health workers: youth vape use has doubled in recent years, rising from around 2 percent to about 4 to 4.5 percent among those aged 10 to 19. “From under 30,000 young users, we’re now looking at roughly 400,000—or even more,” he said. Without clear messaging and stronger regulation, he warned, “this could reach epidemic levels in the coming years.”
Degollacion also raised concerns about how easily marketing reaches teens. “Colorful flavors and designs connect to the youth,” he said, adding that social media has become a space where “so many things slip through.” He stressed that regulation should come from health authorities, saying, “It’s the FDA that should regulate these products, not the DTI. The current setup is failing, and our youth are getting hooked on an addictive product we don’t want.”
Social Watch Philippines’ Meg Buendia stressed that the focus shouldn’t be on blaming people who smoke. “Smokers are also victims. We shouldn’t villainize them,” she said, pointing instead to the industry practices that make cigarettes and vapes appealing to the youth.
Philippine Smoke-Free Movement’s Jia Sentorias said advocacy must reach policymakers as well. She noted that their coalition continues urging agencies and lawmakers to treat tobacco and vape regulation as a public health issue, especially as products “keep spreading in the Philippines” and target younger demographics.
Her hope is straightforward: that her generation—and the ones that follow—grow up in a tobacco-free environment. “If not now, when?” she said.
They plan to showcase the films in different schools, local communities, and online audiences next year, extending the conversations sparked at Cinema 76 to more young people across the country.
