Efforts to build a smoke-free school environment

To build a safe and healthy educational environment, one of the tasks that the education sector has prioritized and strongly implemented is to build a smoke-free school environment, contributing to protecting students' health. Many synchronous solutions have been applied, spreading the message "Say no to cigarettes" to every teacher, student and parent.

Communication on tobacco harm prevention for students at Quan Son Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

Fully aware of the harmful effects of tobacco on health and the educational environment, educational institutions in the province have actively promoted and raised the responsibility of staff, teachers and students in strictly implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms (PCTHTL). The model of "Smoke-free schools" is maintained in many units; no-smoking signs are placed in easily observable locations; school regulations clearly stipulate: staff, teachers and students absolutely do not smoke on campus.

At Quan Son Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, tobacco control work has been implemented synchronously and persistently for many years. The school promotes propaganda and integrates tobacco control education into subjects and extracurricular activities; organizes students to sign a commitment not to smoke cigarettes or use electronic cigarettes; responds to National No Smoking Week and World No Tobacco Day (May 31). The Youth Union regularly monitors the situation of students in the branches to promptly detect and remind violations.

Mr. Le Duy Dung, the school principal, said: "We assign specific tasks to homeroom teachers and teachers in charge of monitoring and reminding students; at the same time, we coordinate with the police force to organize propaganda sessions on preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco and addictive substances. Thanks to that, students' awareness has been significantly raised, they know how to say "no" to tobacco and proactively remind their friends."

At the Provincial Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities, propaganda work on the harmful effects of tobacco, especially electronic cigarettes - a product that is on the rise among young people, has been focused on since the beginning of the school year. The school organized teachers and students to sign a commitment not to smoke; integrated education on the harmful effects of tobacco into Civic Education, Biology and experiential activities; coordinated with the police force to conduct surprise inspections to promptly prevent the act of bringing electronic cigarettes, firearms or addictive substances into school.

Le Viet Nhat Minh, a student in grade 11A, shared: "Thanks to propaganda, we clearly understand that cigarettes and e-cigarettes are very harmful to the lungs, heart and mental health. Therefore, my friends and I always try to stay away from cigarettes to keep the school environment clean."

Despite many positive results, the situation of students using electronic cigarettes is still a concern for families, schools and society. Electronic cigarettes are designed to be compact, easy to hide, have many attractive scents, and are easy to buy on social networks, making students easily attracted. The rate of students aged 13-17 using electronic cigarettes nationwide has doubled in just 5 years. In Thanh Hoa , although there are no complete statistics, surveys at some schools show that this trend is increasing, especially among students who lack family supervision.

Many students mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes are “safer” than traditional cigarettes. However, experts confirm that aerosols from e-cigarettes contain many toxic substances, causing lung damage, negatively affecting the developing nervous system, and increasing the risk of emotional disorders.

At Thanh Hoa Lung Hospital, doctors said they have recorded many cases of young people having respiratory problems after using e-cigarettes. This shows the potential risk if timely preventive measures are not taken.

Faced with this situation, the Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training has issued many directives, requiring schools to strengthen propaganda; organize signing of commitments not to use tobacco; incorporate PCTHTL content into annual activity plans; integrate into training sessions for teachers and extracurricular activities of students. The education sector also closely coordinates with the health sector, police, market management, and local authorities to inspect businesses around schools, strictly handle the sale of electronic cigarettes to students. Many schools have included the "no smoking" criterion in the evaluation of teachers' competition and student conduct, contributing to raising awareness and creating a healthy and civilized educational environment.

Building a smoke-free school environment is not only the task of the education sector but also the responsibility of each family and the whole society. Each student needs to know how to protect themselves; each parent needs to care for and accompany their children; teachers must be an example of a healthy lifestyle. Starting with small actions - saying no to cigarettes and e-cigarettes - will contribute to protecting the health of the younger generation and building a clean and civilized school environment.

Article and photos: To Ha

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/no-luc-xay-dung-moi-truong-hoc-duong-nbsp-khong-khoi-thuoc-271056.htm