Anti-smoking campaign gets underway in Moroccan schools and workplaces

2007-05-31

In June, the Lalla Salma Cancer Prevention Association will launch a smoking prevention programme targeting young students and companies in order to prevent smoking in schools and workplaces.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 31/05/2007

[Getty Images] The goal of the programme is to prevent young people and employees from taking up smoking

A campaign against public smoking is scheduled to start in June in schools and workplaces across Morocco. Entitled "Smoke-free schools and businesses", the programme was developed by the Lalla Salma Cancer Prevention Association and was unveiled at a science conference on Wednesday (May 30th).

Moulay Taher Alaoui, chairman of the association’s scientific committee, told Magharebia that the three-year programme will target young students in secondary schools in the regions of Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zair, Sous-Massa-Daraa and the wilaya of Greater Casablanca, as well as at a number of businesses. The outcomes will then be assessed before the programme is rolled out in other regions.

The goal of the programme is to prevent young people and employees from taking up smoking, as well as to help smokers kick the habit and to protect non-smokers.

A combination of information, awareness-raising, education, support campaigns and initiatives will be used to help change attitudes and behaviour with regard to smoking.

Cultural, sports, social, educational and support activities will be organized at all sites participating in the programme. Training on treating tobacco addiction will be provided to school doctors and nurses and also healthcare professionals in workplaces.

The programme comes in the wake of a nationwide survey on smoking carried out in 2006 by the Fez University of Medicine, in partnership with the International Union Against Tuberculosis. Fez University professor Chakib Nejjari explained that 18% of the world’s population are smokers, with 14.5% smoking on a daily basis and 3.5% occasionally.

The average age of smokers was found to be 17.6 years, and over 60% of smokers were between the ages of 20 and 39. In Morocco, a 2000 survey by the ministry of health showed that around a third of the population smokes, with figures high among public servants and the military. According to a 2001 study, 24.3% of adolescent Moroccans begin smoking before the age of 10.

The programme calls on numerous organizations and individuals to ensure that anti-smoking law 15-91 is enforced. Enacted on August 2nd, 1995, it outlaws tobacco advertising and smoking in some public places, specifying the penalties for infringement. However, Nourredine Chaouki, director for epidemiology and disease prevention at the Ministry of Health, believes that the law is still being ignored, especially in public and private offices. "We need to ensure this law, which will protect non-smokers and solve many problems, is enforced," he said.

He added that the responsibility for tackling smoking lies not only with the Ministry of Health, but also the whole of society including the government, private institutions and the public.