DOHA: The Supreme Education Council (SEC) will soon launch a campaign to raise awareness among Independent school students on the danger of smokeless (chewing) tobacco, which is commonly called Sweka in the Gulf.
The drive is inspired by a recent study conducted by the Social Rehabilitation Centre and the Research and Policy Analysis centre of the SEC which found that some 15 percent of preparatory and secondary school students in Qatar use chewing tobacco and that it is easily accessible in the local market.
The study also found that there were many students who were addicted to smoking and sweka.
The addiction is more among secondary school students where some 17 percent of those surveyed were found to have used chewing tobacco either once or many times over, while some said they were using it regularly.
The campaign in the initial phase will focus on eight boys’ schools and it will be expanded to all the Independent schools in a later phase, the Qatar News Agency reported yesterday.
A committee comprising representatives from the SEC, Supreme Council of Family Affairs, Social Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Supreme Council of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage will supervise the campaign.
The Peninsula
