Students smoking in schools has been an ongoing concern in Greece.
To help tackle the issue head on, Education Minister Niki Kerameos met with pulmonologists Panagiotis Behrakis, Chair of the Health Ministry’s national Anti-Smoking Committee and Vasso Evangelopoulou, a researcher at the George Behrakis Research Lab of the Greek Anti-Cancer Society.
During the meeting, the specialists presented their initiative SmokeFreeGreece. Its overarching aim is to send positive messages to students against tobacco addiction, and highlight the positives of living a healthy and active life.
Furthermore, they sought the Education Ministry’s support in running information sessions at schools to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking.
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Ms Kerameos was positive about their work, and agreed that tackling smoking, as well as use and addiction of drugs, should be incorporated into the school curriculum.
The Minister said that the Ministry would be interested in reviewing the development of units on living a healthy life, as part of the current program, which includes teaching materials on how to better protect the environment, and the benefits of volunteering.
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