SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING

3.3.6 Does your university as a body have a 'smoke-free' policy?

Smoking prohibition

AlMaarefa University’s Student Conduct and Discipline Rules explicitly prohibit smoking within university facilities, including the use of electronic cigarettes and all tobacco-derived products. This regulation forms part of the institution’s behavioral and health standards, contributing to creating and enforcing a smoke-free campus environment.

Article 7 [1]:

Any statement or action by a student that violates Sharia laws, public morals, or general regulations, or contravenes public order or university regulations, decisions, and instructions, constitutes a violation subjecting the perpetrator to disciplinary sanctions. Among these violations are:

16. Smoking within university facilities, including the use of electronic cigarettes, or using any other means that involve raw tobacco, manufactured tobacco, or any derivatives thereof, within the university campus.

Lab Safety Manual - No smoking in labs

The University’s Laboratory Safety Manual states operational rules forbidding eating, drinking, or smoking in laboratories. This prohibition reduces exposure to fire and chemical hazards and reinforces site-level smoke-free practices in high-risk academic spaces.

AlMaarefa University, through the Deanship of Admission, Registration and Student Affairs, provides mental-health promotion and counselling services to students and staff. The Deanship documents preventive activities, family counselling sessions, daily duty shifts and a system for referring cases requiring psychiatric intervention to hospitals, demonstrating institutional mechanisms to identify and support individuals in need at no direct cost to students [2].

World Anti-Smoking Day

On World Anti-Tobacco Day (31 May 2024) AlMaarefa University published institutional messages and ran awareness activities to encourage tobacco cessation and healthy choices among students and staff — demonstrating regular public health outreach around tobacco control [3].

Your future is your choice. #World_Anti_Tobacco_Day@AlMaarefa pic.twitter.com/AnGdREo2Vs

-Almaarefa University (@AlMaarefa) May 31, 2024

Nursing Dept cooperation with Naqaa Anti-Smoking Association

The Department of Nursing collaborated with the Naqaa Anti-Smoking Association to prepare community awareness programs on the dangers of smoking. This partnership evidences external collaboration and capacity-building aimed at tobacco control and community outreach.

In preparation for implementing a community awareness program to introduce scientific developments about the scourge and danger of smoking, the Nursing Department team in Almaarefa university on a visit to the Naqaa Anti-Smoking Association; to exchange expertise and experiences.@AlMaarefa pic.twitter.com/iQ6tZLM9nc [4].

Aesthetic Medical Forum - university outreach on harms of smoking

At a public health/aesthetic forum AlMaarefa University presented a Knowledge Pavilion addressing healthy food, the harms of smoking and dental care — reinforcing public education roles and community engagement on tobacco harms.

Al-Maarifa University participated in the Aesthetic Medical Forum in cooperation with the organizing body, the Directorate of Health Affairs in the Riyadh Region, which was held at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center over a period of three days during the period 12/14 February 2019 AD. Our delegation participating in the Knowledge Pavilion was hosted by the Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, His Excellency Professor Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalal, as well as a group of officials, stakeholders and health practitioners in public health from various regions of the Kingdom. Our participation included several topics such as healthy food, the harms of smoking and dental care and their effects on health and beauty. The pavilion contained a platform that included some medicines [5].

The university's participation came out of its belief in the importance of activating community participation in such occasions due to its interest in raising the level of health services to the highest levels.

Workshops for Anti-Smoking Charitable Society

AlMaarefa University faculty provided multiple workshops for the Anti-Smoking Charitable Society (Tayeb) in Medina, demonstrating university outreach, training provision and community partnership in tobacco control.

His Excellency the President of the University, Professor Dr. Walid Hussein Abu Al-Faraj, received a letter of thanks and appreciation from the Anti-Smoking Charitable Society in Medina “Tayeb” for the fact that His Excellency the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Al-Maarifa University, and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Naqaa Society, presented a number (6) workshops for the society’s male and female employees. in Almadinah Almonawarah [6].

The association praised the quality of the workshops and the interaction it received from the participants, as the workshops were held over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, the 10th and 11th of March.

This initiative by the university is considered an extension of the services it provides to society and civil society institutions, out of belief in its awareness message and community participation.

University calendar - No Tobacco / awareness day entries

AlMaarefa University’s official calendar includes entries for No-Tobacco/anti-tobacco observances, confirming regular scheduling of awareness activities around tobacco control and reinforcing institutional commitment to promotion of smoke-free behaviors [7].

External academic paper - notes “success of Smoke-free Campus”

An external study on coronary risk among medical students references that a low smoking prevalence 'may be attributed to the success of the Smoke-free Campus program implemented in Almaarefa Colleges' — an external academic endorsement of the campus smoke-free initiative's impact .

Minister of Health

As part of its alignment with national health priorities and its commitment to fostering a smoke-free environment, AlMaarefa University highlights the national guidance issued by His Excellency the Minister of Health, who emphasized that smoking reduces the average life expectancy of Saudis by 1.6 years, contradicting the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of increasing population longevity [8].

The message also underscored the availability of free smoking cessation clinics, which can be accessed by booking an appointment through the 937 call center or the Sehaty application.

References