Environmental Health Department promotes healthy lifestyles

ACCORDING to the Health Awareness Calendar, 31 May 2018 is regarded as World No Tobacco Day and West 1 Environmental Health Department visited Khanyisani Primary School in KwaNgcolosi to create awareness.

Environmental Health Practitioner, Sinethemba Ngobese said routine inspections of schools that are done by the Environmental Health Practitioner often lead to early detection of challenges that might cause threat to public health.

“The main purpose of conducting the training is to prevent learners from using tobacco products and smoking which results in the usage of drugs,” said Ngobese.

Khanyisani Primary School is one of the schools that has been inspected by Environmental Health Practitioner, the school starts from Grade R to Grade 7.

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“Targeted group for training of learners is Grade 7 due to the fact that they are at high risk, as they are approaching high school level. Focus of training is to ensure the link between tobacco, heart and cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, which combined are the world’s leading causes of death, is known.

The theme for the day was Tobacco Kills Live a Healthy Life Style. The educational morning ended with fun activities where learners presented a play about when and how does smokers start smoking. There were also winning prizes for participants. Ngobese added that Tobacco Legislation review is introducing stringent conditions to enforce no smoking in public spaces such as schools and malls.

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