SHORT PAPER: YOUTH AND CIGARETTES: THE URGENCY OF TOBACCO CONTROL POLICY AT SCHOOL
Abstract
The prevalence of youth smoking in Indonesia has increased in the last three decades accompanied by a younger initiation age of smoking. The youth has been exposed to early socialization to smoking and false perception of health risk due to smoking and has been the target of aggressive cigarette promotions by manufacturers. Controlling youth smoking is a critical point in the overall control of tobacco smoking, but the current tobacco control strategy barely targeting the youth, as health promotion campaigns are delivered as a part of house-hold based PHBS (Clean and Healthy Life Standard). School, on the other hand, represents a suitable environment for youth smoking prevention campaigns. Cognitive process for behavioral changes may be expected to take place in school. In addition, school may act as a supportive social environment for those wanting to quit smoking, not only the students, but their staffs and teachers as well. School tobacco control policy is a range of norms and regulations to create a school as a smoking free zone, which are based on agreements amongst all stakeholders within the school. The smoking policy applies to the whole school community and utilizes all aspects of school including its physical environment, curriculum, communication media, and fundraising activities to create a supporting environment for youth tobacco smoking prevention.