Students walk past one of the 11 no smoking signs posted on campus last month. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

NOTICE boards warning students and teachers not to smoke were posted at strategic areas throughout the campus of the University of Yangon last month.

“We put up 11 notice boards at the instruction of the Department of Higher Education (Lower Myanmar) with the aim of making the campus a smoking free ,” said U Soe, who is in charge of campus security.

He said the notices were aimed at students, teachers and other university employees, but added that no decision has been made about what penalties to impose on those who break the no-smoking rule.

The notices are part of a bigger government campaign started earlier this year to prompt institutes, colleges and universities throughout Myanmar to post “no smoking” signs on their campuses.

Dr Aung Tun, project manager of the Department of Health’s School and Adolescent Health Project, said creating smoking-free zones can raise public awareness about the benefits of abstaining from the use of tobacco products.
“Turning universities into smoking-free zones will make teachers and students think twice about smoking,” he said.

Basic education schools in Myanmar were designated tobacco-free zones in 2002, and information about the dangers of tobacco use was added to the basic education curriculum in 2004 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, he said.

Dr Aung Tun also said the establishment of tobacco-free zones was part of efforts by many institutions to come into line with the government’s Control of Smoking and Consumption of Tobacco Product Law announced May 4.

The new law, which bans smoking in public places and forbids all forms of tobacco advertising, is scheduled to take effect May 4, 2007.