"Still in primary school, but already smoking - Monday, Feb 16, 2015 My Paper
The problem of underage smoking looks to have worsened, as some schools turn to detection devices to help them smoke out offenders.
Last year, more than 6,200 smokers below the legal age of 18, including those in primary school, were caught. This was about 17 per cent more than the 5,311 in 2013, according to data from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
Most of the underage smokers caught were 15 to 17 years old, and the rise in numbers could be because of greater enforcement efforts, said a HSA spokesman.
But a 36-year-old teacher who spoke to The Straits Times off the record said she has noticed a growing number of student smokers in her neighbourhood secondary school, where she has taught for 14 years.
Several schools such as Greenridge and Chestnut Drive secondary schools have used "smokerlysers" - portable devices that measure carbon monoxide, a by-product of cigarette smoke - to monitor if students smoke. Newer versions of these devices can detect cigarette use from as far as two days back. A Health Promotion Board (HPB) spokesman said these carbon monoxide meters are used in its smoking cessation programme in schools.
Over in Choa Chu Kang, Regent Secondary School plans to install cigarette smoke detectors in the common areas of five of its male toilets. It wants detectors that can log the exact location and time when someone smokes, and send an alert to the school's general office and a message to a staff member's mobile phone.
"The initiative is one of (the) school's efforts to promote deterrence," said Regent's vice-principal Sheree Chong, adding that it also holds anti-smoking talks.
The effectiveness of such efforts remains to be seen, as "it would take more influence than detection to curb the problem of underage smoking", said Gracia Goh, deputy director of the Singapore Children's Society. It conducts counselling for underage smokers and has helped those as young as eight.
"Influence by family, friends and community has a much stronger impact for them," she said, referring to young smokers.
Take Varun, a 17-year-old student who took his first puff two years ago "because all my friends were smoking". The Institute of Technical Education student, who declined to give his full name, is now a habitual smoker, but his family does not know. Persons below 18 caught using, buying or possessing tobacco products can be fined up to $300. First-time offenders can have the fines waived if they complete an online smoking cessation module.
HPB said it works closely with the Ministry of Education to discourage youth from experimenting with tobacco products."
This one has always troubled me.
Lessons for me are:
1. for some of us, the SIMPLEST way to tackle this issue is to BAN all sales of tobacco! Alas, this is NOT feasible as many adult smokers will be in a fix! Not even thinking about the revenue lost from the ban of tobacco sales for merchants and the government's coffer! Notes: the government was very decisive and firm when it banned 'shisha smoking last year'. A successful strategy and tactic to 'nit it in the bud'. That opportunity was lost with cigarette-smoking!;
2. prices of cigarettes are DELIBERATELY KEPT very expensive in Singapore to deter new smokers from picking up this habit, and hopefully encourage the existing smokers to cut down or to totally quit as it is not sustainable economically. YET we are seeing more young people smoking. Does this mean they are getting richer or they are committing more crimes to feed their habits or their parents and guardians SIMPLY just give them handsome allowance that allow them to buy this expensive stuff? are these young 'new' smokers have parents that are regular smokers? The researchers probably have to dig a bit deeper into the 'root causes' for new smokers forming!;
3. when it comes to 'who influences the new smoker to smoke', could it be the parents and elders in the family or it is normally a 'friend'? For responsible parents and guardians, there is NO dispute that 'the kids WILL emulate the behaviours of the parents and adults at home'. So, the adults HAVE no EXCUSE. As for peers, nab the 'leaders - formal or informal does not matter', catch them early and throw both hard and soft measures on them. Ultimate success will be getting them to realise themselves that they don't need to smoke to get whatever they want or need!! It will be about discovering their Self-Motivation. It will take understanding and time and sincerity. Just scaring them will not work.
The problem of underage smoking looks to have worsened, as some schools turn to detection devices to help them smoke out offenders.
Last year, more than 6,200 smokers below the legal age of 18, including those in primary school, were caught. This was about 17 per cent more than the 5,311 in 2013, according to data from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
Most of the underage smokers caught were 15 to 17 years old, and the rise in numbers could be because of greater enforcement efforts, said a HSA spokesman.
But a 36-year-old teacher who spoke to The Straits Times off the record said she has noticed a growing number of student smokers in her neighbourhood secondary school, where she has taught for 14 years.
Several schools such as Greenridge and Chestnut Drive secondary schools have used "smokerlysers" - portable devices that measure carbon monoxide, a by-product of cigarette smoke - to monitor if students smoke. Newer versions of these devices can detect cigarette use from as far as two days back. A Health Promotion Board (HPB) spokesman said these carbon monoxide meters are used in its smoking cessation programme in schools.
Over in Choa Chu Kang, Regent Secondary School plans to install cigarette smoke detectors in the common areas of five of its male toilets. It wants detectors that can log the exact location and time when someone smokes, and send an alert to the school's general office and a message to a staff member's mobile phone.
"The initiative is one of (the) school's efforts to promote deterrence," said Regent's vice-principal Sheree Chong, adding that it also holds anti-smoking talks.
The effectiveness of such efforts remains to be seen, as "it would take more influence than detection to curb the problem of underage smoking", said Gracia Goh, deputy director of the Singapore Children's Society. It conducts counselling for underage smokers and has helped those as young as eight.
"Influence by family, friends and community has a much stronger impact for them," she said, referring to young smokers.
Take Varun, a 17-year-old student who took his first puff two years ago "because all my friends were smoking". The Institute of Technical Education student, who declined to give his full name, is now a habitual smoker, but his family does not know. Persons below 18 caught using, buying or possessing tobacco products can be fined up to $300. First-time offenders can have the fines waived if they complete an online smoking cessation module.
HPB said it works closely with the Ministry of Education to discourage youth from experimenting with tobacco products."
This one has always troubled me.
Lessons for me are:
1. for some of us, the SIMPLEST way to tackle this issue is to BAN all sales of tobacco! Alas, this is NOT feasible as many adult smokers will be in a fix! Not even thinking about the revenue lost from the ban of tobacco sales for merchants and the government's coffer! Notes: the government was very decisive and firm when it banned 'shisha smoking last year'. A successful strategy and tactic to 'nit it in the bud'. That opportunity was lost with cigarette-smoking!;
2. prices of cigarettes are DELIBERATELY KEPT very expensive in Singapore to deter new smokers from picking up this habit, and hopefully encourage the existing smokers to cut down or to totally quit as it is not sustainable economically. YET we are seeing more young people smoking. Does this mean they are getting richer or they are committing more crimes to feed their habits or their parents and guardians SIMPLY just give them handsome allowance that allow them to buy this expensive stuff? are these young 'new' smokers have parents that are regular smokers? The researchers probably have to dig a bit deeper into the 'root causes' for new smokers forming!;
3. when it comes to 'who influences the new smoker to smoke', could it be the parents and elders in the family or it is normally a 'friend'? For responsible parents and guardians, there is NO dispute that 'the kids WILL emulate the behaviours of the parents and adults at home'. So, the adults HAVE no EXCUSE. As for peers, nab the 'leaders - formal or informal does not matter', catch them early and throw both hard and soft measures on them. Ultimate success will be getting them to realise themselves that they don't need to smoke to get whatever they want or need!! It will be about discovering their Self-Motivation. It will take understanding and time and sincerity. Just scaring them will not work.
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