‘NOdam’ All-in Busan Office of Education, "Creating Healthy Schools Free of Tobacco Smoke"

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education is launching the "Creating Healthy Schools Free of Tobacco Smoke" initiative to reduce student smoking rates through smoking prevention and early cessation.

On the 8th, the Busan Office of Education announced a plan to promote school smoking prevention projects aimed at raising students' awareness of smoking prevention and reducing smoking rates to lay the foundation for lifelong health.

This plan aims to create healthy schools free of tobacco smoke by preventing student smoking through systematic education and activities at individual schools.

The Busan Office of Education will focus on three key tasks under the goal of "reducing student smoking rates through smoking prevention and early cessation": ▲activating demand-centered smoking prevention education ▲operating experiential smoking cessation programs ▲creating a smoking prevention and cessation culture in connection with the local community.

To effectively operate school smoking prevention education projects, the Office of Education will implement the program in three types: "basic," "semi-intensive," and "intensive." Depending on the type, schools will receive budgets ranging from 1 million to 6 million KRW to run various programs.

Smoking prevention educational materials will also be produced for each school level. This year, video materials for students with visual and hearing impairments will be created and distributed by October. Additionally, various training sessions will be provided to improve awareness and strengthen the capabilities of staff and school administrators to enhance the quality of prevention education.

Busan Office of Education.

Under the slogan "No-Tobacco Stories Led by Us," various student-centered programs such as "Student Policy Proposal Clubs," "Smoking Cessation Promotion Supporters," and "Smoking Prevention Idea Contests" will be operated to foster a culture of smoking cessation.

A "Visiting Student Smoking Cessation Counseling Support Team," composed of 29 certified counselors, will also be operated. They will receive counseling requests from smoking students monthly and monitor their smoking cessation status for three months to support students in quitting smoking.

Smoking prevention campaigns linked with related organizations will be conducted both online and offline in various ways. Online activities will include smoking prevention and cessation quiz challenges, while offline campaigns will be held mainly in areas with high student density.

The Busan Office of Education designates and operates a "School Absolute Protection Zone" as a no-smoking area within a 50-meter straight-line distance from the main entrance of all schools.

Ha Yoon-su, Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "This plan will greatly help in preventing student smoking and fostering a culture of smoking cessation," adding, "We will strive to create healthy schools free of tobacco smoke so that students can grow their dreams and embrace hope in good health."