Ban on smoking in Hungary's schools seen as ineffective

A regulation enacted last year that prohibits teachers from smoking inside Hungary's schools has suffered from both a lack of compliance, as well as unexpected negative consequences, portal origo.hu reports.

According to a decision last year by the Ministry of Education and Culture, teachers in Hungary's schools are no longer allowed to smoke inside school buildings, including "smoking rooms" kept apart from other parts of the facility. But administrators at several schools contacted by origo said they had not yet heard of the regulation. Meanwhile, many who have are concerned that the ban is forcing teachers to smoke outside of school buildings between classes in view of students, potentially encouraging them to take up the habit.

"It is much more prominent this way, and we shouldn't set a bad example to children. Until now, at least we were hiding," said a teacher at an elementary school on Budapest's Csepel Island who now smokes with her colleagues in front of the school's gate, where children playing in the yard can see them. At another school in District IX, teachers now go to the basement to smoke, although they know it is not allowed.

Several institutions contacted by origo still have smoking rooms for teachers despite the regulation. "I never see teachers smoke; I don't even know which one of them smokes," said a young student attending one of the schools.

Meanwhile, some younger teenagers interviewed for the story said their decision to start smoking had nothing to do with the behavior of their teachers.

This sentiment was echoed by an employee of a school in Buda, who said that she had always smoked outside of her school building, because she doesn't want her clothes to smell bad. "There's no need to worry about [being a negative influence on] the children," she said. "90% of upper-grade students (aged 11 to 14) already smoke."

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