Speakers at the human chain said, tobacco is not only harmful for health, but also for environment, economy and society. The result of growing tobacco is land shortage for food crop cultivation. Trees are been cutting down for drying tobacco leaf. In the hill tracts, more and more forest are destroying each year and land are using for tobacco cultivation.

Organizers demanded that tobacco cultivation have to be stopped in environmentally-sensitive areas such as the hill tracts, deforestation have to be stopped for making land and drying tobacco. They also demanded that farmers should be motivated for growing alternative food crops than tobacco.

Apparently, he is a smoker (though he never confessed to me) and he has never seen tobacco issue as a serious global issue. I explained to him that tobacco smoking is one of the highest causes of deaths all over the world.

It’s a product that kills you even when used as directed.

Realizing that his health is in danger, the next words that came out of his lips were ‘How can one quit smoking?’

This words reminds me of what the gatekeepers asked Peter and Paul after hearing the gospel, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved’?

Thought, there was very little time left, I tried to explain to him the addiction problem and concluded by referring him to see his doctor.

I hope he finds the courage to quit.

The tobacco control law which came into force one year after its adoption strictly prohibits tobacco advertisement in all forms; it also prohibits sale of tobacco to and by minors, sale of cigarettes singly or in a package containing less than 20 to enable easy purchase and smoking. The law also states that it is an offence to produce, distribute or sell cigarette and other smoking tobacco products without a health warning in Myanmar language.

Despite regulations banning smoking at public places, education and health facilities and public transport, exposure to second hand smoke is still high both at home and in public places. Strengthening of existing legislation on smoke-free environments is strongly recommended to reduce hazards of exposure to second-hand smoke.

Currently, the national tobacco control programme is working in collaboration with school and youth health programme; hazards of tobacco has been incorporated into the school curriculum since 2002 and updated in 2007.

National Strategic Plan on Adolescent Health and Development (2009-2013) including Tobacco Free Youth Program  has been developed.

Specifically focused and youth targeted media campaigns and other anti-tobacco programs in schools can be effective measures for curbing the youth tobacco use in Myanmar. 

According to Myanmar Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (2001/2004/2007), Prevalence of tobacco use among the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th graders of Myanmar students was relatively high. Myanmar Tobacco Control Programme was launched in 2000 and had increased momentum on promotion of community awareness on dangers of tobacco ; measures had also been taken to prohibit cigarette advertisement from TV, radio , billboards, newspapers and all printed articles; but the students were still reporting of seeing pro-ads on billboards, TV , newspapers and magazines. Tobacco Industry has changed its advertising techniques by using indirect advertisements and producing millions of stickers to be seen in many public places. Hence, the students were still exposed to pro-tobacco ads and get confused where they had seen them.

Tobacco -Free schools had been established since 2000 and over (80)% of basic education schools had declared themselves to be tobacco-free.

 “Control of Smoking and Consumption of Tobacco Product Law” was enacted in May, 2006. Came into effect in May, 2007. Between 2001 and 2007, a significant reduction in the proportion of students currently smoked cigarettes is observed (a fall from overall prevalence among 13-15 year olds of 10.2% to 4.9%) but reported use of other tobacco products had increased during the period from 5.7% to 14.1%. The ability to purchase cigarettes in a store had reduced significantly from 72.9% to 23.7%; percent who have been offered “free “cigarettes by a tobacco company had also reduced significantly from 17.1% to 8.7%. There is no change in percent of students receiving education on dangers of tobacco. The GYTS 2007 has shown that  exposure to second-hand smoke still remains high both at home and in public places. Students are still exposed to cigarette advertisement. Enforcement of the national legislation on tobacco control needs to be strengthened, and the National Tobacco Control Program needs to be more comprehensive incorporating measures to reduce smokeless tobacco use and other non-cigarette tobacco products.

Therefore there is an urgent need to promote the tobacco prevention and control program through school-based approach.

Strengthening of tobacco free school programme may be one efficient  strategy to promote sustainable prevention and control of  tobacco among youths.

Cigarette smoking is a nusiance,
Give up smoking - with no repentance!

Do not let tobacco destroy YOU,
But let tobacco be destroyed BY YOU!

Winners quit smoking,
And enjoy a healthy living!

When we can’t give the next generation,
A world free of pollution!

Lets’ tell them we do care,
And give them atleast homes with fresh air!

Shachi Saluja
DLDAV Model School
Pitampura
Delhi, India