Students plan smoke-free party

The Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) of the Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA) has expressed disappointment at the decision to postpone the introduction of legislation against smoking in public places.

The association now plans to show its belief in the viability of entertainment in a completely smoke-free environment by holding the first ever smoke-free student party.

Further details about the date and location of the party will be released soon, it said.

The organisers said they were confident the party would be a success, adding they believed that the entertainment industry would open its eyes to the viability of a smoke-free party scene in Malta.

For years, the smoking awareness team in SCOPH has been delivering talks on prevention at secondary schools but one of the main setbacks to any effort was the fact that as soon as these teenagers started frequenting discos and bars, they were exposed to tobacco fumes and the smoking culture that produced them.

"Despite being educated on the dangers of tobacco, many still end picking up the habit and, even if they do not, they are exposed to the medically-proven adverse effects of passive smoking," the MMSA said.

Preventing smoking in public places was considered to be one of the most powerful tools to stop teenagers from getting into the habit of smoking.

"The great leap forward towards better public health this nation was going to make has been limited, quite unjustifiably, to just a small step. What is more disappointing is that there are organisations in Malta that fight for unhealthy policies."

Despite this setback, however, the association recognised that Malta was moving in the right direction as the new law would undoubtedly aid its preventative efforts.

It also hoped that the government would continue on this track, as there was still a lot more that could be done, such as raising the legal smoking age and removing unmonitored tobacco vending machines from the community.