Schools to Adopt National Anti-Smoking Curriculum
Official hope that highlighling the risks of smoking at a young age will keep children from ever starting.
By May Titthara,
The Phnom Penh Post, Septeber 12, 2008
A program by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport warning of the dangers of smoking cigarettes will soon be part of the national school curriculum, officials told the Post Thursday.
“Cigarettes share similar properties with opium,” said Ton Sa Im, director of the ministry’s Pedagogy Research Department. “Smokers have difficulties in quitting smoking, even though it seriously damages their health and that of anyone near them.”
She said the ministry is currently updating textbooks for primary and secondary schools, targeting biology and social studies lessons. “We want students to know the dangers of smoking and avoid starting,” she said. She said the curriculum will specifically target secondary students, as smoking rates among this age group are most worrying to government officials. Krisna Keo, project manager for the Adventis Development and Relief Agency Cambodia, said he hopes the school porgram will prevent young people from ever starting to smoke.
“We want students to know the dangers of smoking and avoid starting.”
“Some 7.9 percent of children aged 13 to 15 years smoke cigarettes everyday,” he said, adding that one percent of that number are girls. He said 53.9 percent of all Cambodians smoke cigarettes, of which nine percent are female. “They smoke because tobacco companies advertise on television and radio,” Krisna Keo said. “They sponsor concerts and promote their products by giving away free samples and telling young poeple they will look handsome if they smoke.”
Krisna Keo said many children also suffer because they live in households where family members smoke. They learn by example or sufer the effects of second-hand smoke. “Children should know about the health problems they are liekly to suffer if they decide to start smoking, including lung cancer and manage to their blood vessels,” he said.
He said tobacco companies should be prohibited from advertising in print or broadcasting media and the government should impose anti-smoking laws in public spaces.
Meth Rina, 36, a teacher at Tuol Sleng primary school, said the new curriculum could have a big impact on her studnets. “Younger people will be less likely to start smokimng because teachers will explain the serious health risks,” she said.
Some 5.4 million people die each year from smoking-related disease, according to the World Health Organization. That figure could reach 8.3 million by the year 2030. About 80 percent of those deaths occur in developing counties suffering from extreme poverty, according to WHO estimates.
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angkor138 5:23 pm on September 12, 2008 Permalink
It’s good to hear that school will adopt anti-smoking as part of curriculum.
The question is how effective would it be in term of persuading young people not to fall into trap of bad habit [easy to hook on but hard to quit], which will damage their health [smoking related lung and heart disease are most common, vein disorder - gangrene] and cuase financial burden to self and family [family budget] if cigarette companies are able freely advertised on the street, sponsored an event or concert, and seller failure to ask if the person is over 18 years old.
Most students did not smoke at school or at home but in public areas, on an outing with friends and away from their parents.
At the same time people shall educate about passive smoker[s] who is most vulnerable to conceive smkoe related disease than smokers themselves.
The question is how to protect passive smoker, shall smoking be banned in all enclosed areas? [aircon room, within the vacinity of restaurant, pubs, night club Etc..]
Piseth 6:53 pm on September 12, 2008 Permalink
I personally don’t like the smoke that come out from the cigarette but i have a pity for those who smoke. Smoking is the learning process who without getting information or seeing other people the young people or children will not learn to smoke.
Basically speaking, banning not to smoke is the best way. Of course this policy will affect many businesses and people. But it is good for the world.
angkor138 3:50 am on September 13, 2008 Permalink
Can’t see the world as a “Free Smoke” zone for fact that many country in the world has benefits from cigarette in terms of state coffer through tax and levy and is said to inject into health care system or medical research. But one consencious agreement is to ban cigarette from Advertising in public, carry health warning label.
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