PENANG, 10 Sept 2013 - The effectiveness of advocacy programmes to free Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from any tobacco 'colonisation' will be evaluated at the end of this year.

USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network), Professor Dato' Dr. See Ching Mey, said that a special report on the matter will be made to evaluate the effectiveness of the efforts carried out by various parties on the campus.

She added that through the report, USM will do an assessment together with ongoing activities to educate and foster greater awareness among the community in the university on the dangers of tobacco usage through healthiness and environment.

"Various efforts have been done by USM through education, prevention as well as counselling services to achieve 'Tobacco-Free USM' (TFUSM) objective. At this early stage, efforts will be focused on educating the campus community.

"We have started a massive campaign through billboards, brochures, and electronic announcements to increase the awareness to the highest level on the tobacco-free policy among staff and students,'' she said during a press conference after the launching of Tobacco-Free USM officiated by the Deputy Health Minister, Dato' Seri Dr. Hilmi Yahaya at USM today.

She added that USM also has recruited 1,500 selected students in “Capacity Building Programme" through three levels of intensive training including health promotion courses, tobacco-free initiative workshops, and ultimately implementing community projects which are related to tobacco-free environment within and outside the campus.

In the meantime, Hilmi said that USM efforts coincide with the government's initiative to encourage communities to come up with a healthy lifestyle and set an example for all to emulate.

"The usage of tobacco brings greater meaning where we do not just ban cigarettes alone but together with other similar products such as shisha and electronic cigarette," he said.

In the meantime, TFUSM can be considered as USM's historical moment as it strengthens and clarifies USM leadership commitment in implementing tobacco-free initiatives which aims to protect its community and visitors from the effects of tobacco smoke.

With the approval of the TFUSM Policy by the University Management Committee on 12 September 2012, USM is officially a tobacco-free campus starting from 1 January 2013.

Several initiatives would be carried out continuously under TFUSM such as silent campaign, signature campaign, the death clock 1 & 2, coloring contest, and running competition.

TFUSM also receives full support from Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat) with a RM500,000 funding over a period of three years, from 2013 to 2015. - Translation: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa