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• Education Ministry Bans Sale And Consumption Of Alcohol And Tobacco In Educational Institutions 

The Ministry of Education, Science, Youth and Sports has prohibited sale and consumption of alcohol and tobacco in the premises and on territory of educational institutions, reads the Ministry order No.136 dated February 8.

The document also foresees educational institutions' termination ahead of term of lease contracts with business entities that sell alcohol and tobacco in the premises and on territory of educational institutions.

The Education Ministry instructed leadership of educational institutions to conduct explanatory work among pupils, students and cadets as to the legislation norms concerning responsibility for drinking booze and low-alcohol beverages.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Education Ministry in September 2011 expressed its worries over the tobacco smoking contagion among schoolchildren.

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Capitol briefs: Senate panel OKs anti-smoking bills  

Smoking would be prohibited on public school grounds and in government-owned and -leased buildings under two bills approved Tuesday by the Senate Local Government Committee.

Senate Bill 467, sponsored by Sen. Ralph S. Northam, D-Norfolk, would expand the prohibition on smoking in school buildings to include the grounds of the schools and the inside of any public school administration building. It passed the committee -- the only committee in the Senate with a majority of Democrats -- on a 12-3 vote.

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Savannah university to enforce smoke-free campus 

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- A Georgia university plans to ban smoking on its Savannah campus later this year.

Administrators at Armstrong Atlantic State University says smoking, chewing tobacco and all other tobacco use will be prohibited on it property both outdoors and indoors once the fall semester starts next August. The school will be the 16th college in Georgia to completely snuff out smoking.

Armstrong Atlantic's president, Linda Bleicken, says the change will "support the health and well-being" of the university's 7,500 students as well as faculty and staff.

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Oregon school district faces lawsuit 

An attorney for Disability Rights Wisconsin claims the state law that allows school districts to deny enrollment to students who have been expelled from another district is unconstitutional . . . Oregon School District is named in the lawsuit for denying enrollment to a student who was expelled from a Janesville school after serving several suspensions for allegations of sexual assault and possessing tobacco.

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North Rock Creek becomes a tobacco-free campus 

North Rock Creek Public School (NRC) joins a family of tobacco-free campuses after adopting a 24/7 tobacco-free school policy Jan. 9, 2012. Effective the first day of the 2012-2013 school year, tobacco in any form will not be used by anyone, anywhere, anytime on school campus. The policy covers all school events after school hours, including outdoor events—24 hours a day, seven days a week. The NRC School Board recognizes the importance of adult role modeling to students and is dedicated to providing a healthy environment for staff, students and visitors.

“I believe it is important to set a good example for our young, sometimes impressionable, students,” said North Rock Creek Superintendent Blake Moody. “By fostering a community buy-in for the program, we might have a bigger impact to keep students from using tobacco. If only a single student is prevented from starting tobacco-use, the program will be successful.”

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School district supports ballot measure against smoking 

The Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education endorsed the California Cancer Research Act earlier this month.

The act is a statewide initiative aimed at reducing the number of teenagers who smoke. The measure would impose an additional $1 tax per pack of cigarettes, bringing the cost of a 20-cigarette pack in California to about $6.19.

If passed, the tax would generate about $855 million annually that would go to anti-smoking programs statewide. The money would also be used to fund research on the detection, treatment and prevention of cancer, heart and lung disease, stroke and other smoking-related health issues.

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LETTER: Theresa Will, Bismarck, column: Tobacco prevention pays off in N.D. 

Tobacco is a big problem in North Dakota. Each year it kills more than 800 people and costs the people of North Dakota more than $247 million in increased health care spending.

The Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control was created by a statewide initiated measure in 2008 to drive tobacco-free policies that reduce secondhand smoke and promote a tobacco-free North Dakota. The people of North Dakota voted to use tobacco settlement dollars to prevent tobacco use and the harms caused by it.

Since 2009, we have achieved many positive results that are saving lives and saving money for the people of North Dakota.

One of the center’s missions has been to coordinate with local public health units across the state to promote the adoption and enforcement of tobacco-free policies on school campuses. . . .

According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of North Dakota high school students, smoking rates among high school students decreased from 22.4 percent in 2009 to 19.4 percent in 2011. It’s not just smoking rates that are down, either. The survey also reported a decrease in the use of other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, snuff and dip, from 15.3 percent in 2009 to 13.6 percent in 2011. . . .

Even though public opinion tells us that the people of North Dakota want and need tobacco-free policies, the influence of Big Tobacco is very strong. Every year, the tobacco industry spends $12.8 billion nationwide marketing its products. That’s more than $35 million a day or roughly $25 promoting tobacco for every $1 we spend fighting it.

But the fight against tobacco is a winnable battle. Science and experience provide us with proven, cost-effective strategies that prevent kids from using tobacco, help current tobacco users quit and protect everyone from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Thanks to the voters, North Dakota has one of only two fully-funded tobacco prevention programs in the country. We are dedicated to continuing our efforts to save lives and money by lowering and preventing tobacco use in our state.

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No secret, students use tobacco  

The Central Kitsap School District is in the midst of updating its tobacco use policy and while already prohibited from being used on school property, some students say smoking or chewing tobacco can be a problem.

"I think it's absolutely disgusting," said Jessica VonScheele, a senior at Klahowya Secondary School.

The current district policy prohibits the possession and use of tobacco products on district property and an update to include nicotine substances as well is on the table.

A revised policy could make an exception for prescription-only nicotine replacement products that are used for tobacco cessation.

The Central Kitsap School Board was expected to hold a "first reading" of the policy at Wednesday's board meeting and the policy could be updated and approved as early as mid-February.

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Singapore Seen - How students hide their cigarettes in school 

STOMPer BestInTheWorld found photos on facebook showing how students hide their cigarettes in school.

They apparently place their cigarettes in chocolate boxes, so that their teachers will not find out.

Said the STOMPer:

"I found this photo on facebook on a friend's page and I see that this is a new way to store cigarettes in school so no one will know."

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STOMP - Singapore Seen - How students hide their cigarettes in school 

STOMPer BestInTheWorld found photos on facebook showing how students hide their cigarettes in school.

They apparently place their cigarettes in chocolate boxes, so that their teachers will not find out.

Said the STOMPer:

"I found this photo on facebook on a friend's page and I see that this is a new way to store cigarettes in school so no one will know."

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High School Smoking Ban - Iowa 

Iowa's House Education Committee has unanimously approved a bill banning the use of all nicotine products on school property.

State law already allows school boards to suspend or expel a student for the use or possession of tobacco, alcohol or controlled substances on school grounds.

The bill, approved Thursday, expands those rules to include all nicotine products except those to help people quit smoking.

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Teachers ‘turned blind eye to smoking and racism’  

A SPECIAL school in the Lothians has been blasted after teachers were found to be “accepting” of pupils being racist and smoking.

Burnhouse School in West Lothian, which caters for pupils with severe behaviour problems, had already been described as “weak and unsatisfactory” following an HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) assessment last year.

But a confidential report intended for senior managers has emerged that highlights serious concerns, including “a too ready acceptance by staff of smoking, spitting, swearing and use of racist language”, inappropriate use of financial rewards to persuade young people to comply with rules, and poor tracking of the progress of individuals.

The inspection team’s record of findings (RIF), which was obtained under a freedom of information request

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Setting a Good Example? Changes in Smoking Prevalence Among Key Occupational Groups in New Zealand: Evidence From the 1981 and 2006 Censuses 

Conclusions: Persisting high smoking prevalence among some occupational groups suggest that additional targeted smoking cessation support for role model occupational groups may be justified.

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• Household secondhand smoke exposure of elementary schoolchildren in Southern Taiwan and factors associated with their confidence in avoiding exposure: a cross-sectional study 

Results: Over 50% of children were found to have lived with a family member who smoked in front of them after the new law enacted, and 35% of them were exposed to household SHS more than 4 days a week. Having a positive attitude toward smoking (beta = -0.05 to -0.06) and high household SHS exposure (beta = -0.34 to -0.47) were significantly associated with a lower avoidance of SHS exposure.

Comparing to girls, boys had lower scores in their knowledge of tobacco hazards; and this factor was significantly related to their SHS avoidance (beta = 0.13 to 0.14).

Conclusions: The intervention program should enhance school children do actively avoid exposure to SHS in home settings, and more importantly, provide tobacco hazard knowledge to male students to avoid exposure to household SHS for themselves. The results also provide further evidence that Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act should perhaps be extended to the family environment in order to protect children from the hazards of household SHS exposure.

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• Setting a good example? Smoking amongst key occupational groups 

A new study published by researchers from University of Otago, Wellington has found that smoking rates have declined rapidly amongst many occupational groups over the last 25 years.

However, among some key 'role model' occupations smoking rates remain high. The researchers suggest that targeted support to help them give up smoking should be considered.

The research from the ASPIRE 2025 research collaboration has been published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. It describes smoking prevalence by occupational groups, which may be role models in society, using data from the 1981 and 2006 censuses.

The five 'role model' occupational categories cover a range of 32 different jobs: teachers, uniformed services, health professionals, entertainers and sports people, and other public figures and professions.

"The aim was to look within five occupational categories which act as role models for children and others, compare smoking rates with the average for all occupations in NZ, and rates of decline across the occupational groups," says lead researcher and director of ASPIRE 2025, Professor Richard Edwards.

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