Prevention in education

Tobacco is, among other things, an addiction that needs to be prevented as early as possible (32% of 17-year-olds in Wallonia smoke, and one in four 11- to 18-year-olds has already smoked).
In the French-speaking Community of Belgium, the decree of May 5, 2006, banning smoking in playgrounds and other school areas, was evaluated for the first time in February 2007.
Initial observations show that while, on the whole, schools appear to have complied with the ban, the decree in question continues to be debated. On the one hand, there may be certain perverse effects (difficulty in controlling the type of cigarette, finding hiding places to smoke, teachers and students gathering together to smoke outside school, etc.). On the other hand, tobacco is not always considered a priority issue; in schools, it's not easy to impose appropriate sanctions, and there's a real lack of awareness of the teaching tools made available by the French Community.

The various teaching aids and tools (conferences, teaching packs, practical guide, website, etc.) put in place to support schools in applying this decree are part of an interactive, participative dynamic and a global approach to health. One example is Smoke-free school charter , which sets out the necessary rules and sanctions through a participatory procedure involving all members of the school community. This positive, structured project (mobilize, act, broaden) is an opportunity to develop a "healthy school climate", where all addictions can be discussed. In this area, schools will be able to collaborate with the local Centres de Prévention de la Santé, which will soon be setting up "Points d'appui aux écoles en matière d'assuétudes". These will be tasked with informing schools about specialized associations and creating networks between schools and specialized players.

At the University of Liège, l'APES-ULg is one such center to which schools in the French-speaking Community can turn. Since 1980, it has built up a wealth of experience in prevention in a variety of settings, notably through scientific contributions arising from its research and teaching activities.