To ensure that all schools nationwide will be smoke-free, the Department of Education (DepEd) calls on various government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and partners to support smoke-free schools and communities.
“As far as our policy is concerned, our schools have always been smoke-free,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
“Since 2016, the DepEd has institutionalized a comprehensive tobacco control policy that prohibits smoking near schools and among our learners,” she added.
In a forum held in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Health Justice Philippines, DepEd also conducted a dialogue with LGUs on how they can sustain the implementation of smoke-free environment programs in the new normal.
Briones expressed hope that through the forum, the DepEd, DILG, and DOH “can commit to complement our resources and prioritize to issue a joint memorandum circular as soon as possible that will further expound on this need to institutionalize supportive health policies, particularly to strengthen and unify our efforts on tobacco control, especially in our schools.”
For Briones, the forum presents an opportunity to work hand in hand again with partner government agencies in “making sure that every school in the new normal is truly smoke-free.”
To ensure that all schools will be smoke-free, Briones explained that DepEd also designated Tobacco Control Coordinators in region and division offices and briefed tobacco intervention providers among the Department’s health personnel and have supported them in implementing programs and delivering services for the learners.
“We have long integrated key tobacco control concepts in our curriculum, while we have also regularly conducted and participated in various co-curricular activities to increase awareness among our learners about the ill-effects of tobacco use,” Briones said.
During the forum, presentations from LGUs and discussions on how smoke-free programs can complement the current health protocols to minimize the transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the community level were also featured.