Preventing Youth Tobacco and E-Cigarette Use in Schools

Mr. Ruan Guangfa, an expert from the political and ideological department of the Education and Training Department of Hejing Province, stated that "by understanding the guidance provided by the Education and Training Department, they will release documents throughout the year to guide the organization of anti-corruption weeks, educate on the dangers of tobacco, and from the end of October 2022, provide documents that address the dangers of e-cigarettes to students within the industry. From this proactive approach, restricting tobacco infiltration to minors, especially students on campus, can be tackled synchronously by schools, with many flexible solutions available.

The prevention and control of the harmful effects of tobacco and e-cigarettes have become a regular activity of the school union at Can Loc High School. This event incorporates activities such as honoring the national flag, classroom activities, union themes, and event themes...

Mr. Pham Trong Anh, the union secretary of Can Loc High School, has reported that controlling smoking and e-cigarette use among students in the school has not been an easy task, with over 1,000 students found to be violating the rules through inspections conducted from the beginning of the year until now.

In order to implement a smoke-free policy on campus, the school representatives have signed a commitment to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes among all students. In addition to school criticism and disciplinary action for violations, parents are also invited to participate in enforcing this policy by directly addressing any issues at home. This strengthens the cooperation between schools and families in promoting education and management. As a result, smoking among students on campus has become increasingly limited.

Smoking, including electronic smoking, is becoming a reality not only in high schools, but also in many secondary schools in urban and rural areas. Electronic cigarettes with their eye-catching design, candy-like packaging, variety of flavors, and low prices are attracting young people.

What's more concerning is that many young people, including students, are following their friends and secretly buying e-cigarettes to show off their taste, due to the lack of attention and supervision from their families. Tobacco is harmful to human health.

Recently, Tonglu Middle School has placed special emphasis on educating students about the dangers of smoking. The school regularly conducts anti-tobacco and e-cigarette prevention and control work, utilizing activities under the school's flag to engage the role of homeroom teachers and the Red Flag team. The school also promotes anti-smoking messaging through its Fanpage and class groups.

Tonglu Middle School has also established a student psychological counseling group, which discusses and creates promotional materials together, as well as providing a space for sharing feelings. They advise students to stay away from social ills and cigarettes.

Dang Thi Nga, a biology and chemistry teacher at Dong Loc High School, explained that during adolescence, children go through physical and psychological changes. She emphasized the need to assist students in avoiding evil, particularly in matters of love. With e-cigarettes increasingly infiltrating schools, Nga stressed the importance of flexible promotion efforts. Specifically, she advocated incorporating tobacco and e-cigarette risks into various subjects so that students could understand the harms of these products. Nga also urged the promotion of self-discipline and personal responsibility through discipline and school regulations.

Ky Anh High School in Ky Anh Town organized an engaging and informative extracurricular activity for over 1,000 students centered around the theme of "E-cigarettes and Youth Debate," in line with the policies of the education and training department.

Through skits, scenarios, questioning, and debates, we have gained a better understanding of the issue of electronic cigarettes with young people and received affirmative responses. From there, we will establish a healthy lifestyle and say no to tobacco," said Nguyen Van Tinh, student of class 11A7.

As of now, the education and training department has not yet gathered statistics on the number of students caught using electronic cigarettes on campus. However, efforts to strengthen publicity, inspection, supervision, and cooperation between families and schools have increasingly limited the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes by students in schools. Education institutions in Hejing Province are implementing a smoke-free school model.

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