Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-QEg
PASIG CITY — While the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) have committed to transforming schools into health-promoting environments, through their Healthy Learning Institutions (HLI) program, a health advocacy group reminded both agencies to also strictly enforce smoke-free and vape-free schools to protect students from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products.
“The implementation of smoke-free and vape-free environment programs should also be prioritized by both agencies since School Year 2025-2026 officially started on June 16,” said the Parents Against Vape (PAV).
PAV said that DepEd’s comprehensive tobacco control policy that prohibits smoking near schools and among the learners, should be applied at all times to protect students from the harms of tobacco, vapes, heated tobacco products, and other novel tobacco products.
“If we strictly enforce smoke-free and vape-free policies we are not only eliminating the exposure to secondhand smoke, but prevent students from starting to smoke and use vape,” PAV added.
Earlier, the DepEd and DOH said that they are seeing ” tangible” improvements through a multi-agency initiative aimed at transforming schools into health-promoting environments, aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to ensure safer, healthier spaces for learners.
Universal Health Care Act sets schools as safe settings
DepEd noted that the HLI program, a nationwide strategy implemented in partnership with the DOH, local government units, and school communities, focuses on physical health and mental well-being of students and school personnel.
The DepEd–HLI initiative, which began in 2022, follows a Joint Administrative Order (JAO No. 2022-0001) signed by DepEd, DOH, Commission on Higher Education (XHED), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Legal Education Board (LEB) .
Pursuant to Section 30 of Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, the JAO operationalizes the designation of schools as healthy settings, based on standards set by the DOH and DepEd.
“Schools that maintained or implemented smoke-free and vape -free policies are beneficial for the whole health of students – both physical and mental,” the PAV concluded. (/)