Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) has been sparing no effort to educate the youngsters on smoking hazards, as well as to nurture them to become future leaders in promoting smoke-free culture. The Smoke-free Teens Programme (formerly known as “Smoke-free Youth Ambassador Leadership Training Programme”) has been organized annually since 2012 to equip participants with knowledge on tobacco control and smoking hazards, and different skills through workshop, leadership training camp and organization of various activities to promote a smoke-free Hong Kong.

Nearly 250 youngsters, aged 14 to 18, from around 30 secondary schools enrolled for the programme in 2018-19. After joining the 2-day-1-night leadership training camp last summer, the Smoke-free Teens applied their knowledge to organize about 90 innovative smoke-free programmes in their schools and the community between September and December 2018, reaching over 18,100 students and members of public from all walks of life. Smoke-free Teens demonstrated enhanced skills in organizing different activities including production of smoke-free short films, demonstration of smoking hazards by creative experiment and conducting district research on e-cigarette and other new smoking products, in order to encourage the general public to adopt a smoke-free lifestyle.

The “Smoke-free Teens Programme 2018-19 Award Presentation Ceremony" was held today (15 March 2019) to commend the outstanding Smoke-free Teens for their efforts and achievements. Honourable guests include Kevin YEUNG, JP, Secretary for Education, Dr Tina CHAN, Assistant Director of Health (Special Health Services), Antonio KWONG, MH, COSH Chairman and Yolanda NG, MH, COSH Vice-chairman.

“The Smoke-free Teens Programme 2018-2019” was supported and co-organized by Education Bureau. Kevin YEUNG, JP, Secretary for Education appointed the Smoke-free Teens Alumni during the ceremony. He also encouraged the students to learn beyond the classroom to widen their horizon by organizing a variety of smoke-free activities with their creativity and knowledge learnt from the training camp in order to sow the seeds of smoke-free culture in the society.

Dr Tina CHAN, Assistant Director of Health (Special Health Services), remarked, “The Department of Health accords high priority to tobacco control. We hope that the Smoke-free Teens will continue spreading smoke-free messages to their family and friends, and join hands to promote smoke-free culture in the community.”

“COSH was glad that some Smoke-free Teens selected e-cigarettes and other new smoking products as their programme theme to enhance public awareness and solicit public support on current tobacco control policies. They spread smoke-free messages widely in schools and the community in order to strive for a smoke-free Hong Kong.” Antonio KWONG, MH, COSH Chairman said.

The awards went to Lingnan Dr Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School (Champion), Lok Sin Tong Leung Chik Wai Memorial School (1st runner-up) and Queen's College Old Boys' Association Secondary School (2nd runner-up). Besides, 3 teams were awarded as “Outstanding Smoke-free Team”.

The champion team, Lingnan Dr Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School shared their experience in organizing a series of creative activities with the theme of “Smoke-free, Make a Move” which successfully reached around 1,800 citizens. They held a large scale Smoke-free Carnival with overwhelming response from nearly 600 primary school students, teachers and parents from different districts. Besides, they invited the public to count the saving after quitted smoking via a tablet APP named “Up In Smoke” and distributed smoke-free collaterals in order to encourage the smokers to kick the smoking habit, as well as to motivate the non-smokers to support their family members and friends to quit smoking. They also produced a short film which used “a cigarette” as a first person narrative for online promotion to raise public awareness on the adverse effects of smoking.

On the other hand, the 1st runner-up team, Lok Sin Tong Leung Chik Wai Memorial School simulated the hazards of smoking on human body with an experiment. The 2nd runner-up team, Queen's College Old Boys' Association Secondary School called for a signatory campaign on e-cigarettes and other new smoking products to enhance awareness at school and carried out a survey to collect public views.

Over the past seven years, more than 2,200 Smoke-free Teens have been trained to take the leading role in tobacco control. COSH will organize the Smoke-free Teens Programme 2019-20 and invite local secondary schools, youth centres and uniform groups to join hands in encouraging a smoke-free living. For details of the programme, please visit www.smokefree.hk/smokefreeteens.

Photo captions


Honourable guests commended the Smoke-free Teens for their creativity in organizing a variety of activities to promote a smoke‐free lifestyle in the community.


The Champion team, Lingnan Dr Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School shared their experience and success in “Smoke-free, Make a Move” programme.
 


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