Myanmar: Medical Universities Review No-Smoking Campaign

Source from:  Myanmar Times 08/30/2017

Representatives of the 16 universities held a two-day workshop at the University of Medicine, Yangon, on August 22 and 23 to review the initiative and how to move it forward.

Dr. Than Sein, president of anti-smoking non-government organisation  the People’s Health Foundation, said at least five (of the 16) universities achieved good results while the others are trying to improve the campaign.

“Management is very important to attain tobacco-free campus. Every campus should prepare their tobacco-free policy,” he said.

“We will continue to advise the universities to be tobacco-free zones,” he said.

Dr Min Zaw Lwin, lecturer from University of Medicine, Magway said that their university aims to designate smoking-free areas at the end of this year, but admitted the task would not be easy.

“We aim to have a tobacco-free university,” he said. “It is not easy to tell people to stop smoking. We have many difficulties and challenges. We need more manpower, money and materials to achieve our goals.”

Dr Than Sein, president of People’s Health Foundation, said that to designate tobacco-free universities is a part of the Control of Smoking and Consumption of Tobacco Product Law which had been prescribed in 2006.

He said the People’s Health Foundation, which was established in 2012, plans to designate smoking and tobacco-free zones not only in medical universities but also public places, and other universities and schools, in cooperation with the Health and Sports Ministry and regional officials.

Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing and Magwe regions, as well as Shan and Kayin states, have been implementing designated no-smoking areas since early this year.

According to the law, hospital buildings, offices and compounds, medical treatment centres and clinics, teaching buildings of universities, degree colleges and institutes, classrooms and offices are no-smoking areas.

A nationwide survey in 2014 showed that  about 43.8 percent of men and 8.4pc of women are smokers, while 62.2pc of men and 16pc of women are tobacco users.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said there are more than seven million deaths from tobacco use every year.  Enditem