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Tobacco Free Initiative |
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Key areas and groups Youth Youth projects in Thailand: a comprehensive example Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Thailand has developed a comprehensive programme which targets young people, using a wide variety of active, enjoyable and educational activities. The project’s aims are: (1) to promote and reward non-smoking; (2) to reduce the availability of tobacco products to young people; (3) to help young people who already smoke to quit. Activities are set up to be enjoyable and actively involve students. The programmes are diverse and comprehensive, aiming for maximum participation. By collaborating with schools, families and community groups, ASH has developed a strong network, which ensures that the programmes continue, remain dynamic and open to community input. Care for Kids targets children from three to twelve years and their families. The programme aims to alert children to the dangers of smoking and to build up a positive image of non-smoking. Although too young to understand medical explanations, the children do understand that smoking is smelly and makes you cough. Anti-smoking concepts are introduced slowly as the children grow. Parents are drawn into the programme when watching performances, attending exhibitions, and listening to their children. The programme focuses on the theme that smoking is harmful to children, and parents receive the message that not smoking is an important part of caring for their children. The programme aims to influence the behaviour of the young people and that of their parents. Parents are encouraged to quit for the sake of their children, if not for themselves. Many children ask their parents not to smoke in the house. Stickers and T-shirts with such slogans as "Welcome to our smoke free house" and "Care for Kids - Don’t smoke" influence even those outside of the school system who see them. ASH is principally involved as a facilitating force, since it is the teachers who actually run the activities. Teachers receive a resource pack, and while ASH suggests activities, it encourages schools to develop their own ideas to build up a sense of project ownership. Activities range from drawing, games and singing for younger students, to speech competitions for the older students. ASH puts equal emphasis on making activities both educational and enjoyable for the children and their families. Making anti-smoking activities fun communicates a positive message, which appeals more to young people. The year’s major activities are conducted on Children’s Day and on Father’s Day. Children present their songs, dances, artwork and plays for their parents’ enjoyment and education. Schools are visited by the Smoke buster Caravan, which presents tobacco information in the form of displays, videos, games, and demonstrations. In November 1997, ASH took the caravan to the northeast of Thailand to bring the anti-smoking message to rural students who are so often overlooked by these types of initiatives. Smoke free Schools 2000 is a holistic programme which targets teenagers in and out of school. Programmes include the promotion of a positive non-smoking image, education on the facts about smoking and the provision of a healthy school setting. The Smoke free Generation theme carries through the programme. ASH has secured support from Thai film and music stars who appear in many of the posters and materials produced. As role models, they encourage a positive image of the nonsmoking generation for young people. A series of "training the trainer" workshops have been held for teachers to help them become better equipped to run the programmes. Teachers are taught ways to reward nonsmoking behaviour and to help young smokers to quit, with emphasis on life skills training. ASH also conducts research into the attitude of young people about smoking and the impact of different programmes to help develop more effective programmes and resources. Two schools are used to pilot new projects and literature. ASH has worked to include anti-smoking in the national school curriculum. School policy ASH helps schools implement a smoke-free schools policy and encourages schools to become involved in activities in conjunction with local groups. By linking with community groups, students can help to educate their communities. Skills development ASH has developed camping programmes which promote the fun aspects of being healthy plus the development of life skills. The project uses challenging activities such as rock climbing, hiking, canoeing and rope courses to increase young people’s self confidence and promote a healthy lifestyle. It is hoped that by building up students’ self confidence and social skills that they will be better able to resist pressures to smoke. Supportive policy environment ASH carries out its activities in a supportive policy context. Thailand is one of the very few developing countries to have effective, comprehensive tobacco control legislation. The Nonsmoker’s Health Protection Act controls smoking in public places and the Tobacco Products Control Act prohibits cigarette advertising, requires prominent warnings on packages and disclosure of tobacco products ingredients. Sales through vending machines are prohibited, as are sales to persons under 18 years of age. Conclusions Young people do not respond to issues, which seem irrelevant to them. At fifteen, dying at 50 doesn’t look like premature death, and cancer seems irrelevant. When dealing with young people, ASH focuses more on the immediate implications of smoking such as smelly hair, yellow teeth, bad breath and coughing, and smoking is portrayed as unattractive and unhealthy. Campaigns working with children and young people require constant reviewing. They must be able to keep the interest of young people with short attention spans and compete with the myriad of new ideas, which constantly bombard young people. Consistent effort in researching the effectiveness of programmes can assist in ensuring that what students learn affects long-term behaviour. Effectiveness of comprehensive policies There are already indications that the comprehensive tobacco policies in Thailand have had a positive effect. Overall smoking prevalence has dropped from 48.6% for males and 3.8% for females in 1991 (before passage of comprehensive legislation), to 44.6% for males and 2.5% for females in 1996. Among those aged 15-19 years, smoking prevalence dropped from 12.2% in 1991 to 9.5% in 1996.
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