On May 21-22, 2024, the "Capacity Building Activities for Key Teachers in Tobacco Control Publicity in Colleges and Universities in Beijing" was held in Changping District, sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and hosted by the Beijing Youth Legal and Psychological Counseling Service Center. Key tobacco control publicity teachers from 73 universities participated in this event. Tang Weimin, director of the Health Care Department of the Municipal Health Commission, and Ling Changlong, a second-level researcher in the Sports, Health, and Arts Department of the Municipal Education Commission, attended and delivered speeches.
Ling Changlong first expressed his welcome and thanks to the key teachers from various universities who participated in this event. He pointed out that strengthening the sanitation and health education work in the school system in the new era is an important foundation for comprehensively promoting the construction of a healthy China. It is necessary to adhere to prevention first and guide students to establish a correct view of health. At the same time, he hoped that all universities will establish a long-term and stable tobacco control working mechanism and volunteer teams to carry out tobacco control publicity activities and tobacco control supervision and inspections in schools.
Tang Weimin, director of the Health Care Department of the Municipal Health Commission, gave an in-depth analysis of the tobacco control situation in Beijing and how to carry out tobacco control work in universities. She pointed out that Beijing’s tobacco control work has achieved remarkable results in the past ten years since the “Beijing Smoking Control Regulations” were enacted. As an important place for knowledge dissemination and talent training, universities should become the vanguard of tobacco control work. It is hoped that through this event, teachers' abilities and levels in tobacco control publicity and education can be improved, and a smoke-free learning and living environment can be created for colleges and universities.
Sun Ying, chief technician of the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was invited to explain the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations" in detail to college teachers. Professor Zhi Xiuyi, Vice President of the Chinese Smoking Control Association, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Smoking Control Association, and Chief Expert of the Thoracic Surgery Department of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University gave a special lecture on "Tobacco Harms and Physical Health". Liu Hui, the former leader of the Beijing Tobacco Control Volunteer Corps, introduced the work of Beijing Tobacco Control Volunteers and shared his volunteer service experience. Jiang Yuan, former director of the China Tobacco Control Office, gave a lecture on "The Development Situation of Tobacco Control at Home and Abroad". The experts comprehensively and carefully explained the dangers of smoking, tobacco control-related knowledge and skills, and the construction of a tobacco control volunteer team from different angles.
During the event, teachers from various universities introduced their experience and practices in tobacco control work and had in-depth exchanges with other schools.
After the activity, the teachers all said that they would apply the learning results into tobacco control practice when they return to school, so that the concept of tobacco control will be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. At the same time, more teachers and students in colleges and universities should be mobilized to participate in tobacco control publicity and education activities.
In the next step, all universities will carry out colorful tobacco control publicity activities during World No Tobacco Day, establish and improve the normal working mechanism of university tobacco control volunteers, and jointly play an active role in building a smoke-free Beijing.
