Despite people with vices often saying quitting is close to impossible, especially at a time when boredom or loneliness can easily set in due to lockdowns, it appears many Filipinos are less engaged with their vices now compared to before the pandemic began.
According to the 2021 PhilCare Wellness Index: The Philippine Roadmap to the Next Normal, among its 858 respondents who drank alcoholic beverages, four out of ten (43%) said they did so less frequently during the pandemic. While two out of ten (32.4%) of its 500 respondents who smoked cigarettes or vape said they did so less frequently during the same time.
“We’re glad to see that isolation didn’t push many of our countrymen to depend on destructive habits. We hope more Fiipinos will realize that abusing tobacco or alcohol won’t really alleviate their stress or boredom, but instead cause more problems as it will damage their health in the long run,” said PhilCare President and CEO Jaeger L. Tanco.
According to a study by the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP), the four major non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the Philippines are cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
These diseases are linked to risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol consumption. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that NCDs are responsible for 71% of deaths worldwide.
As majority of the respondents of the Wellness Index were employees and with the WHO identifying workplaces as critical environments to mitigate the rising incidence of NCD globally, PhilCare encourages workplaces to provide programs that will help employees kick unhealthy habits. This effort will also benefit businesses as, according to a study, healthy employees reduce healthcare-related costs by 49%.
For companies to promote healthy living among employees, PhilCare suggests launching initiatives such as removing smoking areas and other triggers in office premises, providing counseling services or support groups for workers battling alcoholism, and making healthy activities more accessible to employees like offering gym memberships.
“Even in the new normal, businesses in full remote-work setup can still provide vice-cessation programs to their employees via digital platforms. They can conduct online seminars, private counseling, or weekly fun activities that promote health and wellness,” said Tanco.
“With enough support and encouragement, vice-dependent employees can lead healthier lives and become more productive at work. Apart from that, they can save on medical expenses and find more quality time with their loved ones.”
