Achieving smoke- free schools
By: Sheilamae P. mayonila
Laws and policies about tobacco ban and creating a smoke-free environment are passed both in national and local level. The Department of Education had been consistent in reinforcing policies about smoking ban in school premises and regulation of its sales especially in the school’s vicinity. Ensuring a smoke-free environment in schools are crucial in maintaining a healthy and conducive learning environment for students and school personnel. Perhaps, we are all well-aware about the negative impact of tobacco smoking. It includes asthma, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and even other forms of diseases and cancers around the body like heart and throat diseases. A comprehensive and integrative approach should be implemented and strictly adhered in order to ensure a smoke-free school. The efforts of the majority of the schools are evidently seen through smoking ban in the school grounds.
Some even employ specialized smoke detectors in bathroom and comfort rooms, to detect smoking and even vaping. But preventive approaches should be employed through regulating or prohibiting of tobacco and e-cigarette sale within 100 meters from the school perimeter. Moreover, a committee for tobacco control should also be mobilized alongside guidance services to conduct regular seminar and monitoring to all students, most especially for those who have found to have a smoking record. It is also important to coordinate in the community and their respective homes for an effective intervention and control. Teachers should also be integrating lessons about the dangers of tobacco, and should closely communicate with the school committee for any activity of smoking and related activities. Then, there goes the imposition of penalties and consequences for violators, depending on how frequent—first offense, second offense, etc.—and the degree or extent of the violation.
Lastly, there should be a support program for students and staffs who wanted to quit smoking. It could be in the form of counseling, and medical intervention or rehabilitation. As the face-to-face classes are about to return. It is important for schools to ensure a healthy and conducive learning environment for students through the implementation and strict reinforcement of smoke-free policies. Having a comprehensive and integrative approach seems to require a lot of effort and resources, yet it is worth it especially when the welfare of the students are at stake.( Contributed article)