School education in the face of the challenge of electronic cigarettes

Preventing the harmful effects of tobacco in schools is a practical action to protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco smoke.

In recent years, the use of tobacco by students, especially e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, has been on an alarming increase.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , the rate of e-cigarette use among those aged 13 to 17 has increased rapidly from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023.

Notably, in the 13-15 age group, this figure has more than doubled in just one year, from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023.

Every student needs to be equipped with the knowledge to say “no” to cigarettes; every teacher needs to be a role model for not smoking; every school needs to become a safe, smoke-free learning environment.

These are alarming figures, showing that tobacco is quietly infiltrating the school environment. Tobacco is not only the cause of many serious diseases but also negatively affects the behavior, lifestyle and personality of students if not controlled promptly.

The school environment is where the personality, knowledge and lifestyle of the young generation are shaped, therefore, preventing the harmful effects of tobacco in schools should be considered an urgent and long-term task of the whole society.

Realizing that, in recent times, many educational institutions across the country have actively implemented the model of "Smoke-free schools" with specific actions such as hanging no-smoking signs in public areas, not allowing the sale and use of tobacco on school grounds, and including no-smoking content in the competition criteria of teachers and students.

In addition, propaganda and education work is focused on integrating knowledge on preventing the harmful effects of tobacco into lessons, organizing extracurricular activities, dramatization, painting, designing lectures and research competitions for students.

Two typical national competitions held in 2025 are the painting competition to propagate the harmful effects of tobacco with the theme "For a green life - Say no to tobacco" and the contest "Learn about the harmful effects of tobacco and e-cigarettes" organized by the Youth Research Institute in coordination with the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, Ministry of Health .

The two contests attracted the participation of more than 200,000 children nationwide with hundreds of thousands of entries carefully invested in content, form and communication message.

Through their entries, students not only demonstrated a deep understanding of the harmful effects of tobacco but also expressed their opinions, thoughts and proposed specific solutions to contribute to building a safe, smoke-free school environment.

The articles, quizzes and drawings all carry clear and creative messages, expressing a strong desire to live in a clean environment and a determination to eliminate smoking among students.

The active participation of students in tobacco control activities shows the clear effectiveness of empowering and encouraging students’ voices on issues related to health and the living environment. Not only are they learners, they are also becoming “media ambassadors”, bringing anti-tobacco messages to their families, friends and communities.

Besides students, teachers play a key role in propaganda, education and setting an example in building a smoke-free school environment.

In order to promote this role, in 2025, the Education and Times Newspaper launched a contest "Designing lessons on preventing the harmful effects of tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products" for middle school and high school teachers nationwide.

The contest is not only an opportunity for teachers to demonstrate their professional skills and creativity in teaching, but also a practical way to spread the message of anti-tobacco prevention in schools through lively, easy-to-understand lectures that are suitable for students' psychology.

Actively innovating educational methods and creating practical, highly interactive lessons will help students proactively recognize the harmful effects of tobacco and equip them with early prevention skills.

Building smoke-free schools needs to be done in a synchronous, systematic and long-term manner, associated with specific criteria such as no smoking on school grounds.

No tobacco product sales or advertising; clear smoking ban in public places; action plan to prevent tobacco harm; regular communication and education activities; no sponsorship from tobacco companies in any form.

Strictly implementing these criteria will help students live in a clean, safe environment, while building a civilized and responsible lifestyle in schools and in society as a whole.

Preventing the harmful effects of tobacco in schools is not just a slogan but needs to become a concrete, sustainable and comprehensive action. It is not the responsibility of any individual, but requires the strong participation of the entire education, health, family and society sectors.

Every student needs to be equipped with the knowledge to say “no” to cigarettes; every teacher needs to be a role model for not smoking; every school needs to become a safe, smoke-free learning environment. A generation of healthy students today is the foundation for a healthy, progressive and sustainable society in the future.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/giao-duc-hoc-duong-truoc-thach-thuc-cua-thuoc-la-dien-tu-d406851.html