Children tune in to smoking message

BEIJING - An anti-smoking campaign aimed at primary school students across Beijing has been hailed a success by authorities after polls showed it has improved awareness.

Launched last November, the program involved about 8,000 third-graders in more than 200 classes before it drew to a close this month, said officials with the capital's health bureau.

The children were taught about the dangers of smoking together with parents through an audio book called Stay Away from Tobacco. They were also asked to answer a short questionnaire to gauge their understanding on the habit.

Based on the 6,912 valid responses, researchers found that 90.4 percent prefer the audio books to the more traditional anti-smoking flyers and leaflets. More than 96 percent also said they are aware passive smoking is harmful, compared to 92.1 percent prior to the project.

Ma Congyuan, 6, who attends Fendou Primary School in Xicheng district, said his father's smoking affects him a lot. "He smokes all the time, maybe 10 to 20 cigarettes a day. That's too much smoke," he said, adding that his teacher had urged the class to encourage smokers in the family to kick the habit.

Among families with smokers, 89.5 percent of surveyed students said they would tell a relative to quit smoking, 6.9 more than before the reading project, while 81.9 percent said they would also ask a stranger smoking near them to stop or "to smoke somewhere else". Almost 66 percent of those with fathers who smoke said they would tell him to join a cessation program.

"We see huge successes in this anti-smoking project," said Du Hong, deputy director of the health bureau's disease control department. "It not only let children know the harm of tobacco, but also made parents and kids closer through reading and researching together.

"It's an good experience in gradually forming families without smoking, but it still needs the efforts of schools, families and society," she added.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/23/2011 page4)