Building smoke-free schools.

The province has 609 preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education centers, with a total of nearly 380,000 students. To combat the harmful effects of tobacco in schools, the Department of Education and Training has directed schools to implement the "Smoke-Free School" model, contributing to building a civilized lifestyle and protecting the health of the younger generation.

Medical staff at Thuan Chau Ethnic Minority Boarding School for Secondary and High School Students in Thuan Chau commune are raising awareness among students about the harmful effects of tobacco.

At Chieng Sinh High School in Chieng Sinh ward, the "smoke-free school" model has been maintained for many years. Right at the school gate, a system of banners, posters, and signs prohibiting smoking are clearly displayed with visual images to remind students of the harmful effects of smoking.

Mr. Pham Dinh Dan, the school's Vice Principal, shared: "Since the beginning of the school year, the school has organized for 100% of students to sign a commitment not to use tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other addictive substances in school. The school regularly coordinates with the police and health forces to organize propaganda activities, extracurricular activities on specific topics, and disseminate the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm; organize competitions to learn about the law on prevention and control of tobacco harm, show illustrative videos, build propaganda sections, integrate life skills content into class activities, and use loudspeakers to broadcast anti-tobacco messages at the beginning of class and during recess, helping students easily understand, remember, and voluntarily implement the regulations..."

Nguyen Truong Hieu, a student in class 12A6, shared: "After the school's awareness campaign, I understand more clearly the harmful effects of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. I don't smoke and I'm spreading the word to my friends and family to stay away from cigarettes."

No smoking signs have been posted on the grounds of Chiềng Sinh High School.

At Thuan Chau Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary and High School in Thuan Chau commune, there are 450 boarding students living together, so supervision is even more crucial. Ms. Luong Thi Nghia, the school's Deputy Principal, said: Implementing the "Smoke-Free School" model, the school directs homeroom teachers and dormitory staff to regularly coordinate inspections of activities and the boarding area, and establishes clear regulations for handling violations. The school integrates awareness campaigns into activities, health-related topics, and extracurricular activities. Many public speaking competitions are organized, creating a platform for students to express their views and improve their understanding of the harmful effects of tobacco, especially e-cigarettes. In addition, the school has installed "no smoking" signs for everyone to follow; and includes the "non-smoking" criterion in the performance evaluation for staff, teachers, and employees.

In the 2025-2026 school year, schools in the province collaborated with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct awareness campaigns for students, disseminating legal information and integrating content on preventing the harmful effects of tobacco. 100% of schools included a smoking ban in their regulations, and 100% of schools organized the signing of commitments to prevent smoking. However, the prevention and control of the harmful effects of tobacco in schools still faces limitations, as many students live in families with smokers and are easily influenced by adult habits; the trend of using e-cigarettes is spreading on social media, disguised in many forms that are difficult to detect...

Students at Chieng Sinh High School learn about the harmful effects of tobacco.

Mr. Quang Van Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, said: Continuing to spread the movement to build "Smoke-Free Schools," the Education and Training sector continues to promote awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and the regulations of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm; coordinate with local authorities at all levels, focusing on directing, guiding, inspecting, and supervising schools on the work of preventing and controlling tobacco harm; detect and report violations related to tobacco in schools; implement extracurricular programs, collective activities, and campaigns to respond to World Anti-Tobacco Day...

To effectively prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco in schools, along with the proactive efforts of the Education and Training sector, active participation from the entire society is needed, especially from parents who play a fundamental role in guiding their children's behavior and contributing to creating a healthy and safe school environment.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/khoa-giao/xay-dung-truong-hoc-khong-khoi-thuoc-vXtVlOMDg.html