The No Smoking Day took place on Thursday, May 12, 2022, and was attended by Junior High and High School students from Athens College and Psychico College. The aim was to inform and provide the latest facts on smoking, while also reinforcing the anti-smoking attitude of our School’s students. This event was organized by the School’s Direction of Social Welfare and Diversity, the Psychoeducational Department and the Medical Services, in collaboration with the Administrations of the Junior Highs and High Schools, and supported by the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The Head of Medical Services at the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation, Pediatrician Dr. Antonios Makris, opened the event and introduced the keynote speaker, Ms. Nikoletta Rovina.  Ms. Rovina is a Pulmonologist, physician at the Intensive Care Unit of the 1st University Pulmonary Clinic at the Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, and Associate Professor in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Athens. Her speech was on “Smoking and Adolescence”.

The Athens College and Psychico College Junior Highs and High Schools presented their anti-smoking initiatives, which aimed to prevent, inform and raise awareness across the school community. The presentations were coordinated by the Interschool Coordinator of the Psychoeducational Department, Ms. Maya Alivizatou, and the Director of Social Welfare and Diversity, Mr. Chrysostomos Symeonides.

Before the end of the event, students had the opportunity to address their questions to Ms. Rovina. The discussion was coordinated by IB1 student Orestis Mikelakis, who initiated the anti-smoking campaign in our School and who is a member of the FairLife LCC Organization, on Lung Cancer Care and Prevention.

No Tobacco Initiatives by the Student Governments:

Athens College High School:

• “Truths and Lies about Smoking” video, by students Ioanna Perroti, Maria-Karolina Rokka, Vasiliki Rafaella Serepa, Georgios-Andreas Stathoulis
• Collection of paintings
• Participation in the Greek National Writing Competition by FairLife LCC

Psychico College High School:

• Student questionnaire regarding how smoking spreads among adolescents, by students Angelos Vamvakas, Anastasis Moraitis, Maria Chissa
• Collection of paintings by IB1 students

Presentation by student Alexandros David

Athens College Junior High:

• Informative videos aimed at students on the effects of smoking and discussions in the classroom
• Promoting the No Tobacco message in the student body through paintings, posters, write-ups, interviews, etc.
• Creation of keychains with anti-smoking messages which were sold at the Panigiri by the Anti-smoking Team of the AC JH

Presentation by students Dimitris Melidonis, Eleftherios Revelas, and Spyros Roupas

Psychico College Junior High:

• Anti-smoking campaign and information for students
• Development of an interactive game regarding smoking. On the day of the event, 86 sections from the Junior Highs and High Schools connected and played the knowledge game prepared by the PC JH students.

Presentation by students Eleni Marinaki, Monika Beraha, and Konstantis Pappas