These Filipinos got addicted to smoking, vaping as early as 12. Here's how they overcame it

“There was something about exhaling smoke and trying different flavors that made it seem cool to me,” he said. “Minsan napapansin mo na lang na ‘yung malaking bote ng juice, biglang nauubos mo na lang, and you are not really aware of how much you have consumed in a day.”

At the time, he had little reason to question vaping’s safety as he believed that it was “safe” and was even a supposed aid for asthma sufferers.

Smoking/vaping as 'cool' and 'calming'

Sometimes, all it takes is one puff offered by someone, one flavored vape passed around during a party, or one moment of wanting to fit in for the one-time indulgence to turn into a battle against nicotine addiction.

Like Kyle, Vince Limuel Lamson was blinded by the illusion that vaping was something “cool.” He was only 14 years old when nicotine began to take hold of his life.

“First year high school ako nun. Naengganyo ako nun kasi ang bango ng mga flavors, tapos ang bango sa damit, talagang lapitin ka tapos macu-curious sila kung ano ‘yung hinihipak mo,” Vince told L!fe. “Cool na cool ang dating mo 'pag nag-vape ka nung araw kasi hindi pa uso nun eh.” 

He became drawn to the drug as it had a soothing effect on him, not knowing his lungs were in danger of getting burned. 

“Kumakalma ka, nawawala ‘yung stress mo, nakakapag-isip ka nang maayos kakahipak mo,” he said. “Every day, every hour, nagva-vape ako. Kahit matutulog na lang ako, humihipak pa ako. Kasi sobrang handy niya eh—pwede mong ibulsa, pwede mong dalhin kahit saan.”

It didn’t help that there were only a few studies on the risks of vaping due to how new it was at the time.

Lui (not his real name) also experienced the dangers of nicotine dependence firsthand after he started smoking at around 17 years old, shortly after his high school graduation.

“‘Yung pagyo-yosi, sinubukan ko siya kasi siyempre lahat ng mga kasamahan ko nagyo-yosi din. That time, may extra money ako so nakakahalf-pack per day ako dati,” he shared.

Lui then had a wake-up call: His vision one day turned white and he had a hard time breathing. Hoping to quit smoking, he switched to vaping instead.

“After six months ng quitting ng yosi, naglalaway na ako, so na-introduce sa akin ‘yung vaping. Ito naman, kada oras hawak ko ‘yung vape ko that time. Kapag nasa work at break time, pupunta ako sa smoking area,” he said.

For Miguel (not his real name), smoking began out of his admiration for visual artist Pablo Picasso, who was notoriously known for smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day.

“I started smoking siguro nasa mga 19 years old ako, mga first year of college. Pero that time, parang try lang,” he said. “Syempre bata pa, so nag-try din ako na mag-smoke para malaman kung ano ang feeling nung nagso-smoke.”

He continued, “Nung college ako, hindi siya ganon kadalas. Dumalas na siya nung nagka-trabaho na ako. Parang every time na naii-stress ako, ‘yung way ko para mawala ‘yung stress is through smoking. So halos every day siya.”

Miguel shared that he used to go through 10 to 15 cigarettes a day, or even a whole pack if he bought one. According to him, the packages back then didn’t contain graphic warning labels showing what smoking did to people, which are commonly seen today.

When asked how smoking helped relieve him of his stress, he explained that it was simply a coping mechanism.

“Wala naman siyang physical na nagagawa. Kapag nagso-smoke ka, ‘yung feeling na kapag binuga mo ‘yung usok, parang binubuga mo rin ‘yung stress,” he explained.

The cost of every puff

For years, the rush and relief brought by nicotine felt harmless to them, but the warnings they once ignored eventually became real.

Fortunately for Miguel and Kyle, they found the strength to slowly let go of the habit before it could make an impact on their health.

Miguel got into running and decided to gradually quit smoking. While he's still in the process of stopping completely, he only gets smoking triggers and cravings from time to time now.

“Last year, I started running. I was like 125 kilograms before. Ngayon, I'm 80 na lang. Nung nag-start pa lang ako, hindi pa ganun kalakas 'yung baga ko, so I needed to stop smoking. I stopped smoking from July until December,” he said.

Things, however, became hectic at work in January, and he was once again lured by the temptation to light up a cigarette until he was eventually confronted by his partner months later.

“Sabi niya, ‘Tumatakbo ka, tapos nagbago ‘yung lifestyle mo, pero naninigarilyo ka pa rin.' Na-realize ko na, ‘Oo nga noh?’ Nagbago na ‘yung lifestyle ko pero may naiwan pa rin na vice. So I think dapat kung magbabago ka, dapat holistic. Dapat walang maiiwan.”

Kyle, for his part, decided to put vaping behind him after he was enlightened by advocacy group Parents Against Vape, which he is now a part of.

Back in 2019, the group visited Davao City for an event that discussed the risks of vaping. Going in with no idea what it was about, Kyle shared with them that he was actually a vape user, and that's where significant changes began. 

“They eventually enrolled me in their tobacco control advocacy, and over time, I became part of it. I think that experience helped me transform my identity from being a vape user into becoming an advocate. I can confidently say that if that moment had never happened, I might still be vaping today,” he said.

In his four years of vaping, Kyle only experienced occasional severe coughing and sore throat, but he still found himself regretting the healthier habits he could have built instead.

But Lui and Vince paid a far steeper price for their addiction.

In February, Lui was admitted to a hospital after contracting pulmonary tuberculosis. The reason? Vaping.

“Nung na-admit ako that time, magti-three months to four months na akong nag-quit ng vape nun, so nung na-CT scan ako, nakita daw sa CT scan na ‘yun na positive daw sa PTB,” he said. “At that time, isa ako sa mga pro-vaping dati, so nagulat ako na isa sa mga naging sakit ko ay dahil sa pagva-vape. Kaya medyo nagulat ako at saka at some point nahiya din.”

His PTB was still detected at a low-risk stage, allowing him to receive treatment before the condition worsened further.

But before his health scare, Lui had already decided to quit vaping for his newborn.

“Kaya ko siya tinigil kasi unang-una, nagkaroon ako ng baby, so may mga circumstances na naaamoy niya. Then, pangalawa, mahal siya na bisyo kasi mahal ‘yung juice. Around P200 to P300 siya, depende pa kung premium. Then, mahal din yung magpapalit ng coil sa vape.”

In Vince’s case, nicotine dependence became a matter of life and death.

“Way back in 2021, nagkaroon ako ng traumatic brain injury due to a motorcycle accident, tapos sinugod ako sa hospital,” he recalled. “Tapos ang pinagtataka nila, ang aksidente ko ay brain injury pero bakit hindi ako makahinga? Bakit hirap na hirap ako magsalita, hindi ako makahinga? So ngayon, in-MRI nila ‘yung buong katawan ko.”

“Nakita nila na 'yung baga ko punong-puno ng tubig at plema, tapos kulay itim at punong-puno ng usok. Tapos tinatanong nila kung super heavy smoker daw ba ako. Sinabi ng parents ko na vape lang ang bisyo ko since high school pa ako, way back 2012 to 2021. Nagulat sila na ganito pala ang resulta kapag sobrang tagal mong nagva-vape,” he continued.

Doctors had to pierce a hole in Vince’s neck and use a breathing tube just so he could get oxygen into his damaged lungs.

“Araw-araw nililinis ‘yung baga ko; dine-drain lahat ng fluid at mga plema sa baga ko. Naghihiyaw ako sa sakit. Sobrang sakit. Pero walang lumalabas na boses kasi nga may nakapasok na trach sa lalamunan ko,” he said.

Overcoming addiction

Surviving the consequences was only half the battle. With the smoke cleared and their minds enlightened, they began rebuilding the parts of their lives that nicotine had taken away.

It has been three weeks since Miguel last touched a cigarette, but the struggle continues, as it was part of his routine then.

“Nung hindi pa ako nag-stop, may schedule ‘yan. Sa umaga, kapag kakain ako mga 9:00, magyo-yosi ako, tapos before noon mag-smoke na naman, then after snack time mga 3:00, mag-smoke na naman. Parang ini-schedule na nung mind mo 'yung pag-smoke,” he said.

What helps keep him in check is a good cup of coffee.

“Ang ginagawa ko, umiinom na lang ako ng kape—dark coffee. Minsan mani para at least instead na magpa-pop ka ng yosi, parang iga-grind mo yung mani. ‘Di naman ganun kadaming kape, parang a few times a day lang, pero it works naman,” he told L!fe.

Lui, on the other hand, keeps his mouth busy by chewing gum. Coupled with a determined mindset, he was able to overcome his addiction in just a few weeks.

“Nagba-bubblegum lang din ako kapag namimiss ko mag-vape. Bubblegum lang para malibang lang din ‘yung bibig,” he said. 

But controlling the urges is still no walk in the park, as he admitted that vaping was one of his go-to habits for stress relief. “Nung nag-quit na ako, nung totally wala nang ganun sa katawan ko, may mga times na kapag stressed ka, medyo nadadala ka ng mga naiisip mo.”

It helped that his family was always there to remind him of the life he was trying to protect.

“Lalo ‘yung asawa ko, supportado ako sa pag-quit. Although may mga times na namimiss ko, kailangan ko talagang mag-quit dahil nga maliban sa sakit ko eh para rin sa anak ko,” Lui shared.

Similar to Lui, Vince distracted himself from the temptation to vape through the candy method.

“Pagkatapos kong kumain, magde-dessert ako. Hindi ako magyo-yosi; hindi ako magva-vape. Puro dessert, matatamis, candy, para malibang ako at mawala ‘yung paglalaway ko sa paghahanap ng nicotine,” he said.

“‘Yung parents ko, talagang may mga stocks sila dito sa bahay ng supot-supot na candy. Tapos toothpick din kapag nagsasawa na ako sa candy,” he added. “Ang ginagawa ko, ‘yung toothpick, iniisip ko na yosi ‘yun. Dalawang oras, tatlong oras, ngata-ngata ko lang siya.”

His family was also there to provide a strong pillar of support whenever he felt that his resolve was crumbling.

“Nung nagkaanak ako, talagang tinigil ko na. Hindi na para sa akin, para sa kanila. Kasi naaawa ako na kapag nagyo-yosi ako, nagva-vape ako dito sa bahay, magkakasakit sila. Tapos ayaw gumaling ‘yung sakit nila hangga’t nagyo-yosi at nagva-vape ako,” he stressed.

After two long years, Vince eventually got his nicotine addiction out of his system, and he is now as healthy as he can be.

For Kyle, the hardest part of stopping were the withdrawals.

“When it comes to addiction and withdrawals, you will always look for ways para lang mabigyan mo ng hustisya ‘yung cravings mo or ‘yung addiction mo,” he said. “Hindi ka mapakali. Bubuksan ko ‘yung mga cabinet kasi baka may tinagong vape dito na pwede kong gamitin. I will even sneak in doon sa room ng mga tita ko, thinking na baka may vape sila doon na ‘di nila ginagamit that I can use.” 

What truly helped him begin his quitting journey was the lack of access to these products.

“Back then, I relied mostly on my older brother to supply the vape juice since I didn't have my own income. And eventually, he lost his job, and we reached a point where we could no longer afford to sustain buying vape products,” Kyle said.

But he was still in a pinch as he also had friends who would vape, so he made it a point to limit his contact with them to avoid falling back into old habits.

Over time, his involvement with Parents Against Vape gave him something stronger than cravings: a sense of purpose that helped him stay away from nicotine.

“It took me more than a year before I could say I was completely over it. And the moment na masasabi ko na I truly felt free from it, it was when I started hanging out with my friends again because even though they were vaping in front of me, I no longer felt any urge to try it. And I also consistently refused even when they asked me multiple times to use it,” said Kyle.

What makes nicotine addictive?

General physician Angelica Sia told L!fe that nicotine is highly addictive as it “rapidly activates brain reward pathways, which reinforces repeated use and makes quitting difficult.”

“In teens and young adults, the developing brain is especially vulnerable to dependence and habit formation. Over time, regular nicotine use can affect attention, learning, mood, impulse control, and stress reactivity, which is one reason early use is linked to long-term addiction patterns,” she explained.

According to fellow general physician Karlo Baybayan, both cigarettes and vaping products expose the lungs to inflammatory and oxidative chemicals that can damage airway tissue over time.

“Traditional smoking is strongly linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, while vaping has increasingly been associated with chronic cough, wheezing, reduced exercise tolerance, airway inflammation, and cases of severe lung injuries,” he said.

Sia also added that young people may develop faster heart rates and reduced exercise tolerance.

Per Baybayan, the common warning signs that vaping or smoking may already be seriously affecting a person’s health include persistent cough, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, recurrent respiratory infections, reduced exercise tolerance, palpitations, headaches, sleep disturbance, and strong nicotine cravings shortly after waking.

“In younger patients, irritability, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, and inability to go long periods without vaping or smoking may suggest significant nicotine dependence,” he said.

More serious red flags, according to Sia, are coughing up blood, chest pain, fainting, repeated vomiting, severe dizziness, seizures, blue lips, or worsening asthma.

“These symptoms can indicate acute nicotine toxicity, significant airway injury, or a dangerous vaping-related lung problem and should not be ignored. If a person is getting frequent infections, can no longer do normal activities without getting winded, or has symptoms that are getting worse rather than better, that is a strong sign they need to stop and get medical help,” she stressed.

Although their journeys with nicotine began in different ways, Kyle, Vince, Miguel, and Lui all arrived at the same realization: Quitting is difficult, but not impossible. The earlier one chooses to stop, the less there is to undo later.

“Nagre-reminisce sa utak ko kung paano ako nagva-vape nung araw, na mayabang ako. Hindi pala worth it. Hindi worth it. Talagang sisingilin ka ng bisyo na ‘yan pagdating sa huli. Sa una lang masarap ‘yan,” Vince said.

Struggling with nicotine addiction? Support may be accessed through the Philippine Lung Center National Quitline at 165-364, or through text support by sending STOPSMOKE to 29290.

Hospital-based programs are also available, such as the St. Luke’s Medical Center Smoking Cessation Program in Quezon City at +63-2-8723-0101 ext. 4127 / 5421 and BGC, Taguig at +63-2-8789-7700 ext. 2029 / 2034, as well as The Medical City START ANEW Program, where patients may inquire through the hospital pulmonary laboratory for enrollment and follow-up support.