100% SMOKE-FREE SCHOOLS

LIEZEL T. BUNDALIAN

June is National No Smoking Month, and what better way to observe this than by having schools all over the country 100% smoke-free?

The Department of Education (DepEd) together with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units in the country should go hand-in-hand in reminding school officials, teachers, and students of the dangers of tobacco use.

Studies have shown that most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood and fall prey to being ‘replacement smokers’ of tobacco industry.

Not smoking, or quitting smoking, greatly reduces risk for disease and early death. We can also protect the health of others by preventing exposure to secondhand smoke.

Republic Act 10643, or the GHW Law, requires all tobacco products manufactured and for sale in the Philippines to carry graphic health warnings ( GHWs) .

In support, DepEd Memorandum No. 98 s. 2016 was issued, enjoining schools to organize activities that will include the use of the GHWs template to educate kids on the dangers of smoking. The ill-effects of tobacco use are also included in relevant subjects under the K to 12 curriculum.

What DepEd emphasizes is prevention, the reason why it integrates antismoking and other risky behaviors in the curriculum. It makes sure to campaign it at schools and find ways to prevent students from even catching the habit, or if ever they already started smoking, help them to stop by informing them and educating them on the bad effects of smoking.

The DepEd is also reminding all schools and DepEd offices nationwide to make every day a ‘No Tobacco Day.’

It is reminding schools and DepEd offices to ensure that DepEd Order (DO) No. 48, s. 2016, or the Policy and Guidelines on Comprehensive Tobacco Control, is observed all year round.

The purpose of the World No Tobacco Day should be carried out every day of the year. Schools and DepEd offices can ensure this by strictly enforcing the policies and faithfully implementing the strategies laid out in DO 48, s. 2016.

The Department Order mandates all schools, through the Child Protection Committee (CPC), to monitor compliance with and report violations not only of the absolute smoking ban in school premises, but also of tobacco control measures for stores outside the schools, such as the ban on the sale and advertising of tobacco products in and within the 100-meter perimeter of school premises.

According to the Department Order, the CPC shall serve as the focal group that will prepare compliance or violation reports and collaborate with local government units and partners to ensure that action is taken on violations.

This is consistent with the recently issued Executive Order (EO) No. 26, which provides for the establishment of smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places, and enjoins local governments to form a local SmokeFree Task Force. Based on the EO, it is the duty and obligation of school principals to report to the nearest Smoke-Free Task Force any tobacco product selling, advertising, and/or promotion located within 100 meters from the school’s perimeter.

In addition to enforcing the ban on smoking and selling of tobacco products, the CPC is also mandated by DO 48 to monitor compliance with and report violations of the ban on tobacco sponsorships of school activities, as well as the prohibition on public officials against receiving any form of contribution directly or indirectly from the tobacco industry. The Department Order also facilitates measures for the protection of the Department against tobacco industry interference or the tactics utilized by the tobacco industry to interfere with the implementation of tobacco control policies.

Based on DO 48, all Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) entered into by DepEd with donors and partners shall include a provision stating full commitment of all parties concerned to tobacco control implementation, and stipulating that the said donor or partner does not represent the interests of or receive funding from the tobacco industry.

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The author is Teacher III at Dolores National High School