Kyrgyzstan launches pilot project "School without tobacco and nicotine"

Bishkek, April 22, 2021. / Kabar /. A pilot project “School without tobacco and nicotine” has started in Kyrgyzstan.

The Ministry of Education and Science, together with the Republican Center for Health Promotion under the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Kyrgyzstan, continuing to work on tobacco control, discussed the pilot project "School without tobacco and nicotine", initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Four schools were selected for the project.

An online meeting was held on April 21, 2021 to discuss this project at the WHO office in Bishkek with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the WHO national coordinator for noncommunicable diseases A. Altymysheva, deputy directors for educational work of four schools in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Experts from Kazakhstan spoke about their experience in implementing a similar project.

During the meeting, questions were raised about the influence of tobacco on the younger generation, about methods of delivering information, taking into account the psychology of schoolchildren. Specific proposals for the effective implementation of the project were also voiced. In addition, the deputy directors for educational work discussed the action plan.

In 2019, the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Ministry of Health and Social Development conducted a survey according to the international standard (GYTS) on the use of tobacco products among young people 13-15 years old, where the results showed the following data:

- 6% of schoolchildren use various types of tobacco;

- 4.4% use tobacco;

- 2.4% smoke cigarettes;

- 2.4% use smokeless tobacco;

- 17.2% have ever used tobacco;

- 13.2% have ever smoked a cigarette;

- 9.6% smoked other types of tobacco;

- 5.1% used smokeless tobacco;

-18.7% used tobacco products.

The results of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) provide important information on tobacco consumption in Kyrgyzstan, as well as knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding tobacco consumption.