Creative initiative protects students from the harms of tobacco

Do Thi Thuy An, an experienced teacher in the Chemistry-Biology Department at Nguyen Trai High School (Long Binh ward, Dong Nai province), has skillfully combined her professional expertise with practical experience to develop an initiative that contributes to reducing the harmful effects of tobacco in schools.

Do Thi Thuy An receives her third-place award at the 2025 lesson design contest on preventing the harms of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products for general education teachers. Photo: Cong Nghia.

Recently, at the 2025 lesson design contest on preventing the harms of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products for general education teachers, organized jointly by the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund under the Ministry of Health and the Education and Times (Giao duc va Thoi dai) Newspaper, Do Thi Thuy An won third prize.

Concerned about protecting students from tobacco smoke

Do Thi Thuy An shared that, even as a general education student, she was aware of the potential harms of tobacco on human health, including the risks to non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. Entering the teaching profession and studying the chemical composition of tobacco, as well as the human absorption mechanisms, deepened her understanding of its scientifically proven harms. This awareness has motivated Thuy An to use her professional knowledge and practical lessons to help students avoid tobacco smoke.

Promoting tobacco-free habits among students is a challenging task, but Do Thi Thuy An has succeeded through her enthusiasm, sense of responsibility, and creativity. The school will continue to encourage teachers to innovate their teaching methods, thereby helping students apply their knowledge and understanding to address real-world issues within the school environment, which serves as a green, clean, and tobacco-free space.

Nguyen Van Duyen, Vice Principal, Nguyen Trai High School

Based on real-life observations, Thuy An has grown increasingly concerned about the rising number of students who smoke and the silent health risks they may face, and most notably, lung cancer. In addition to traditional cigarettes, the market now offers a wide range of next-generation tobacco products of unclear origin, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices, which come in various flavors and can easily arouse students’ curiosity. Some students use these products not only due to addiction but also as a way to appear stylish or sophisticated. When one student starts smoking, it can influence others to follow, leading to harmful consequences for both their health and the broader community.

Creating a “resistance” to the harms of tobacco among students, according to Do Thi Thuy An, is a challenging task that requires the combined efforts of families and schools, with the students’ learning and living environment playing a crucial role. In educating students, if teachers merely deliver simple lessons such as “smoking is harmful to your health” without showing how tobacco silently destroys the human body, students may lack the awareness and determination to confidently “say no to tobacco.”

Turning her reflections into practical action, Do Thi Thuy An developed an engaging extracurricular activity to help students learn about the dangers of tobacco, rather than passively listening to lectures. She designed a group-based activity called “The Four-Station Challenge Race,” which fosters knowledge, skills, and attitudes, while also encouraging teamwork, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Explaining the activity in detail, Thuy An said, "In station 1, students answer multiple-choice questions about the harms of tobacco using a knowledge library." In station 2, they participate in a school news segment, discussing and distinguishing between true and false information about tobacco and the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention. In station 3, students participate in role-playing scenarios to practice refusal skills when faced with the temptation to smoke. Finally, in station 4, drawing on their understanding of the harms of tobacco, students propose measures to create a smoke-free and safe learning environment.

Innovative approach

To create an engaging platform for tobacco harm prevention, Thuy An devoted considerable time and effort to developing a question bank on the dangers of tobacco for students to explore. She also studied the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention in depth to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the legal regulations. Taking it a step further, she produced video clips to illustrate the severe health impacts of tobacco use vividly.

Thuy An explained: “If students are left to read the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention online by themselves, it may not be effective because the content is lengthy and difficult to remember. However, when a teacher studies the law carefully and converts the key points into targeted questions, students not only memorize the material more quickly but can also apply it in real-life situations. Similarly, when students watch videos illustrating the health and economic damage caused by tobacco, they all understand the urgency of staying away from it.”

Tran Van Nam, an 11th-grade student at Nguyen Trai High School, shared: “I gained a solid understanding of the harms of tobacco after participating in the extracurricular activity organized by Do Thi Thuy An. Now, I feel I have the ‘immunity’ to say no to tobacco and protect myself and those around me.”

Nguyen Ngoc An, President of the Vietnam Education Trade Union and Deputy Chair of the Grand Jury for the 2025 lesson design contest on preventing the harms of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products for secondary school teachers, commented: “ Do Thi Thuy An has provided students with systematic knowledge about the harms of tobacco and linked it to practical application. Even more importantly, she has guided students in proposing solutions for creating a safe, healthy, and smoke-free learning environment. Her broader impact aims to develop a widespread network of advocates against tobacco use, not only in schools but also in families and across society.”

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Hong Van, Minho