Taipei pilots smoke-free school streets to shield students from secondhand smoke

Taipei is introducing a "smoke-free school street" initiative to shield students from secondhand smoke along their daily commutes. Starting August 31, the first day of the new school term, three schools in the Zhongshan District – Huaisheng Elementary School, Zhongshan Elementary School, and Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School – will pilot the program.

The initiative targets designated "school streets" during the morning commute hours of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays. These streets are already subject to traffic control measures during specific times to reduce risks from mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic. However, parents and school officials noted that students remained exposed to secondhand smoke from people smoking nearby.

Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun proposed the "smoke-free school street pilot plan" to address this gap. The program will add "no smoking" symbols to the road markings in the school street areas and provide "no smoking" stickers for schools to place on traffic cones and other facilities. The Department of Health will soon announce the specific no-smoking zones.

This approach aims to precisely protect children and adolescents by restricting smoking in areas and times crucial for their commute. The limited smoking ban also seeks to balance the needs of surrounding residents and road users. Following the pilot, the city will evaluate its effectiveness and gather feedback from schools and the local community to consider expanding the program to other school streets.

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The smoke-free environment needs long-term promotion. Compared to permanent no-smoking zones, smoke-free school streets, limited to the routes and times students regularly travel, can more precisely protect children and adolescents, reducing their risk of exposure to secondhand smoke.