Potential roles of school administrators and community-residing adults in tobacco use prevention in Nigerian college students: a viewpoint

Abstract

Tobacco use is a key risk factor for the development of non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. On May 31 every year, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated to draw attention to the health risks and other risks related to tobacco use and to campaign for effective policies to minimize tobacco use. In this paper, we address important issues related to tobacco use, and highlight the potential roles of school administrators and community-residing adults in supporting college students in Nigeria in refraining from tobacco use. We argue that various stakeholders, including school administrators and community-residing adults, have important roles to play in providing community- and school-level support to college students to enable them to refrain from tobacco use. However, research is needed to empirically measure whether and how school administrators and community-residing adults have helped to reduce tobacco use in college students in Nigeria.

Tobacco Use and Cessation Among College Students — China, 2021

“…The smoke-free school policy can be applied on college campuses, for example, prominently displayed “smoke-free campus” or “no-smoking” signs at school entrances, no tobacco advertising or tobacco sales in schools, and strictly enforcing smoke-free regulations ( 7 ). In addition, tobacco-related topics can be required incorporated into the curriculum to increase students’ recognition of tobacco hazards ( 8 ).…”

Viewpoint on Family Life and HIV Education curriculum in Nigerian secondary schools

“…This review method has been used in recent research to discuss issues related to school and community health. [19][20][21] The authors independently extracted information from the various sources and then cross-checked the information obtained in preparing the final draft of this paper. Ethics approval and informed consent was not required for this review.…”

Viewpoint on realigning the Nigerian secondary school curriculum to prevent communicable diseases

“…The methodology used for this review has been used in recent studies focusing on school and/or community health. 11,12,[16][17][18] Results and discussion…”

“…10 Therefore, a curriculum-oriented approach in the fight against communicable diseases, particularly in Nigerian secondary schools, is needed now. Recent studies that have discussed the role of schools in promoting student health indicate that schools’ potential can be harnessed to curb tobacco use 11 and manage meningitis 12 in the student population. We also suggest that schools can play a critical role in preventing communicable diseases by realigning their curricula.…”