Teachers

As a teacher, you play a key role in prevention and health promotion at school. Through your regular contact with students, you can identify certain risky behaviors and provide them with a safe environment, reliable information, and appropriate educational activities. In this way, you help prevent the use of tobacco products and nicotine products in the school setting, within the scope of your professional responsibilities.

Your Role as Teachers

Through your presence and interactions with the students, you help foster their knowledge, critical thinking skills, and psychosocial skills.

You can:

  • create an atmosphere of trust that allows people to discuss personal and sensitive topics;
  • encourage the development of psychosocial skills;
  • provide factual, clear, and reliable information;
  • help your students develop critical thinking skills when it comes to marketing and common misconceptions;
  • observe and identify concerning behavioral changes;
  • refer them to specialized resources if necessary.

However, there are limits to the role of teachers

  • You are not a substitute for parents or healthcare professionals such as school social workers or the school health service.
  • Young people may be hesitant to talk to you about their substance use for fear of being judged.
  • Certain situations require the involvement of specialized professionals.

You are not alone: school administrators, your colleagues, school social workers, the school health office, as well as online resources and specialist services can support and advise you. You will find various resources below.

Best Practices

Certain attitudes foster dialogue, build trust, and contribute to effective prevention

  • Listen without judgment and respond kindly to all of the students’ questions;
  • Educate yourself so you can build a solid foundation and share reliable information;
  • Offer educational activities that foster critical thinking in the face of various sources of influence (peers, social media, marketing);
  • Adapt your presentation and activities to the students’ ages;
  • Highlight their skills: encourage their trust and their ability to make decisions or decline a proposal; help them identify effective strategies for managing stress to build their resilience;
  • Learn to recognize the warning signs of problematic substance use or dependence;
  • Collaborate with other prevention professionals in your canton;

Within the school, it is recommended that:

  • Have clear internal policies regarding the use of tobacco products and nicotine products on your school’s premises and during school events (such as camps or field trips);
  • clearly define which areas are permitted or prohibited, in accordance with the legal framework;
  • Follow your school’s internal procedures for handling situations of concern; if in doubt, consult your administration and/or school health professionals;
  • Avoid using tobacco products and nicotine products around young people, because you serve as a role model for them;
  • Work with school health professionals at your school, as determined by your canton.

Practices to Avoid

Certain behaviors can make dialogue more difficult. It is best to avoid the following practices:

  • take a moralizing stance;
  • to downplay or overemphasize the observed behaviors;
  • ask students about their consumption in public;
  • send contradictory or unverified messages;
  • use tobacco products or nicotine products in the presence of students.

How should we talk about tobacco products and nicotine products?

1.

As a teacher, you play a key role in health promotion and disease prevention at school

If the young person comes to talk to you about their substance use, you can:

  • treat the process with respect, kindness, and confidentiality;
  • listen without trivializing or dramatizing;
  • tailor the conversation to the young person’s needs: whether they need someone to listen, information, support, or help to quit;
  • Assess the need and provide appropriate resources.

In principle, interviews with students must be treated as confidential. Only when there are concrete indications that a serious violation of the young person’s physical, psychological, or sexual integrity is to be feared should you contact the Child and Adult Protection Authority (APEA) (Art. 314d of the Swiss Civil Code). The information that must be disclosed to parents depends on cantonal school laws.

2.

If you see a young person smoking, it is recommended that you take the following steps:

  • Stay calm and adopt a compassionate, nonjudgmental approach;
  • Review the policies and rules in effect at the school; avoid automatic disciplinary action unless it is expressly provided for;
  • Open a conversation by trying to understand the context behind this behavior: curiosity, peer pressure, habit, concerns;
  • Adapt the message and send it:
    • If the young person doesn’t usually smoke: debunk common misconceptions and correct false beliefs; discuss ways to resist peer pressure;
    • If the young person already smokes regularly: open a conversation about the effects and risks of dependence, the possibility of quitting, and the support services available;
  • If more in-depth follow-up or support is needed, refer the student to an in-house health professional (such as a nurse or school psychologist);
  • If necessary, organize a session with specialized external experts, in consultation with management.
3.

If you use tobacco products or nicotine products yourself:

  • Be aware of your role as a role model;
  • Take a clear stance on tobacco and nicotine use: even if you smoke or use nicotine products yourself, expressing disapproval is an important protective factor against young people taking up these habits;
  • Focus on prevention messages, regardless of your personal consumption;
  • Avoid using drugs in front of young people, and if the topic comes up, explain honestly why you use them;
  • Talk about your difficulties quitting or your intention to cut back or quit.
4.

Key messages to convey

  • Tobacco products seriously harm the health of persons who use or consume them and those around them (secondhand smoke).
  • Tobacco products and nicotine products create dependence, and nicotine impairs brain development in adolescents.
  • Electronic cigarettes / e-cigarettes, hookahs, and smoke-free nicotine products are not risk-free either and can cause health problems.
  • Smoking can cause bad breath, tooth discoloration, and a decline in physical performance even in the short term.
  • The tobacco industry specifically targets young people, which can make these tobacco products more appealing to adolescents.

Resources for Professionals

School Health Promotion and Prevention Program

Each canton has its own school health service. For resources, contacts, and guidelines specific to your canton, see: Children and Youth Policy — Cantons. The Infodrog index also lists “Health Promotion and Prevention” organizations by canton.

Refer the young person to a support service

  • 24/7 Helpline for Young People: 147.ch
  • Listening and support for young people ages 11 to 20: ciao.ch

Programs and Seminars for Schools

  • Cap Zéro – For Nicotine-Free Apprenticeship: A tobacco and nicotine prevention program for apprentices, with in-class support
  • ready4life: a coaching app for students designed to promote health, which supports young people in their efforts to lead a life free of tobacco and addiction. Offered by the Lung League.

There are other resources available in German; you can find them here.

Other roles