Page 117 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Fig. 3-18 Schoolmates Primary source of second-hand smoke for students in junior high schools and senior and vocational high schools Other people from outside school Teachers Principal Security guards, janiyors Adminstrative staff The primary source of second-hand smoke in schools of nearly 60% of Senior and vocational high school students are smoking students. (Junior high school students: 27.2% Senior and vocational high school students: 57.9%) 5.7 4.3 5.9 8.9 47.9 27.2 8.7 5.4 20.2 3.6 4.3 Senior and vocational high school students Junior high school students Note: 1. Data source: "Taiwan Global Youth Tobacco Survey" by HPA in 2018. 2. Definition of primary source of second-hand smoke in school: refers to that in the past 7 days, the type of person most frequently smoking in front of the interviewee at school. 3. Survey question: In the past 7 days, who were the people most frequently smoking in front of you while you were at school? Although the second-hand smoke exposure rate of teenagers on campus has been improved significantly, nonetheless, in the past year, the second-hand smoke exposure rate of teenagers at public place still over 50%. In 2018, the second hand exposure rate of junior high school students at public place outside campus was 58.7% (male 56.7%, female 60.9%), which was lower than 61.5% in 2017 (male 58.8%, female 64.4%). In 2018, the second hand exposure rate of senior and vocational high school students at public place outside campus was 63.1% (male 60.4%, female 65.9 %), which was also lower than 66.6% in 2017 (male 64.8%, female 68.5%) (Fig. 3-19). If further questions were conducted on the number of days of exposure to second-hand smoke of teenagers, nearly 20% of teenagers were exposed to the second-hand smoke at public place outside campus every day (junior high school 12.3%, senior and vocational high school 16.3%). Therefore, the protection of teenagers from second-hand smoke exposure at public places is an important task ought to be done immediately. The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act has regulated that schools below the level of senior high schools and most of indoor public places shall be prohibited from smoking completely; however, the outdoor areas of the school gates, sidewalks etc., are not yet under the regulation for non- smoking areas. Consequently, in the event where someone smokes at the sidewalk nearby the school, the tobacco smoke is likely to flow into the campus, endangering the health of the teachers and students; in addition, teachers, students, parents and people walking nearby the school may also suffer from the hazards of second-hand smoke. According to the investigation on the teenager smoking behavior in 2018, the result showed that 70.2% of junior high school students and 72.5% of senior and vocational high school students agreed on prohibition of smoking at public places outside schools, such as entertainment parks, sidewalks, entrances and exits of buildings, parks or beaches etc. 57.9 115 Research, Monitoring, and International Exchange