Prosecutors and Education Officials Join Forces Against Vaping in Santiago Schools
Prosecutors, education officials and other agencies are coordinating efforts to curb vaping among students in Santiago.
Key points
- The Public Ministry met with Regional 08 of the Ministry of Education.
- The Coordination Table is led by the National Drug Council (CND), northern regional office.
- More than a dozen institutions take part, including the DNCD, Conani and the Santiago City Hall.
- Ordinance 01-2005 bans psychoactive substances and smoke-producing products in schools and their surroundings.
Authorities in Santiago have stepped up efforts to prevent vaping and other psychoactive substances in schools. The Public Ministry, together with other institutions, held a working meeting with Regional 08 of the Ministry of Education to strengthen the physical and comprehensive safety of students.
Those attending included Juan Carlos Bircann, general prosecutor of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Santiago; prosecutor Antia Beato; prosecutor María Dolores Rojas; prosecutor Rómely Blanco, director of the Narcotics Department of the Santiago Prosecutor's Office; and Pedro Pablo Marte, director of Regional 08.
The meeting took place within the Coordination Table for Public Policies to Reduce Demand for Psychoactive Substances in Santiago, led by the National Drug Council (CND), northern regional office, headed by Domingo Deprats. The table brings together agencies such as the Regional Prosecutor's Office, the Santiago Prosecutor's Office, the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), the National Health Service (SNS), the Santiago City Hall, the National Council for Children and Adolescents (Conani) and the Pastoral Católica de Régimen de Regeneración, among others.
According to authorities, the effort responds to the threat posed by e-cigarettes, especially for school-age children. The goal is to get closer to schools and the educational community, including the Parents' Association (Apmae).
The institutions also want schools to take part in discussions about the laws protecting minors, such as Law 136-03, which creates the Code for the Protection and Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents; the General Education Law 66-97; and Ordinance 01-2005, which bans psychoactive substances and smoke-producing products in schools and their surroundings.
The Santiago Prosecutor's Office notes that each year it gives hundreds of talks and conferences in schools and communities to warn about the health risks of vaping for children and adolescents.
Why it matters
Authorities describe vaping as a health threat for school-age children and are seeking to involve parents and schools in the solution.
With additional reporting from: El Nuevo Diario