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| OEFI Smoking Prevention Program in Kindergartens |
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| Recommendation from dr. Béla
Buda |
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Today, besides alcohol, smoking is
perhaps the greatest health risk which shortens life expectancy
by at least a decade and causes significant excess mortality.
In Hungary it is especially destructive, much more than in many
other countries.
 We
have known for a long time that something should be done, but
unfortunately this is quite difficult. It is difficult to change
old customs and to help people quit smoking. What would be needed
is prevention, it should be achieved that smoking does not become
a habit, and if possible young people should not even experiment
with it. Since in present day societies cigarettes are the symbol
of adulthood and western living standards, the psychological
pleasure of lighting up a cigarette is presented very vividly
in films and television plays, but of course children can observe
it also in their own environment, the behavior model of smoking
is very suggestive, it has a strong effect on young people.
Especially peer group influence is strong if in the group the
"trendy", more mature, more adult-looking kids "already"
smoke. Unfortunately against the tempting psychological influences
offered by life any informatory word or warning amounts to little,
therefore the chances for success for health promotion and tobacco
control in schools also decrease.
This is the reason why the attention of professionals turns
more and more to an even earlier period of life, to kindergarten
age, when the intellect of young children opens up, when they
observe the relations of the world in a new manner and become
conscious of smoking but it does not concern them directly yet,
it does not occur to them that they could also try it. At this
age smoking behavior can be "dealt with", the risks
involved can be told, especially if in conformity with their
age the elements of fairy-tales and games are also used for
this purpose.
The Reader holds in his/her hands an aid of this early preventive
trial, and becomes part of a large experiment since this is
the first opportunity in the country to try the new methods
of anti-smoking education on a larger group of children. It
is sure that many changes and refinements will have to be made
in the methods and approaches, and it is also sure that life
itself with its "bad examples" will still be stronger
for many growing up kids (especially for boys for whom the peer
group introduces and popularizes smoking to adolescence as an
especially "manly" behavior) than the early educational
influences, but it is also probable that the effects of the
kindergarten will save many children from becoming addicted
to this harmful passion.
Therefore we recommend this initiative to the Reader's attention
and support.
dr. Béla Buda |
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