Teenagers in general have a great sense of curiosity, this often leads to curiosity about trying new things, including smoking. According to several studies, teenagers or school-aged children even have a greater tendency to smoke than adults. The smoking habit of students is usually caused by a lack of information and misunderstanding of information, being lulled by advertising or being persuaded by friends.
The majority of Indonesian smokers first smoked at the age of 15 – 19 years. According to Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), there are 52.1% of smokers who first smoked at the age of 15 – 19 years. The World Health Organization states that smoking causes the deaths of approximately 225,700 people each year. This habit can cause various diseases ranging from lung cancer, bronchitis, to tooth decay. For teenagers themselves, the habit of smoking can also affect their education, where teenagers who smoke will tend to experience decreased performance at school.
Based on this, the Persyarikatan/AUM/Assisted Villages (P2AD) Community Service Team of the Faculty of Psychology, which also collaborated with the Faculty of Dentistry, Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, held an activity entitled “Building Resilience for Orphans and Dhuafa Children at the Al-Hikmah Orphanage, Ngalas Village, South Klaten is becoming a tough and dignified young generation.”
This activity was chaired by Lusi Nuryanti, S.Psi., M.Si., PhD., Psychologist and consisting of Munajat Tri Nugroho, S.T., M.T., PhD, Pemata Ashfi Raihana, M.Si., Audi Ahmad Rikardi, S. Psi. , M.A, Nisrina Hanun Iftadi, Drg. Ana Riolina, MPH, Dr. Apt. Arifah Sri Wahyuni, M. Sc and collaborating with students.
On that occasion, Drg. Ana Riolina, MPH. as lecturer and Deputy Dean III of the UMS Faculty of Dentistry provided education with the theme “The Dangers of Smoking for Teenagers”. This activity was held on Sunday, May 21 2023 and took place at the Al-Hikmah Orphanage located in Ngalas Village, South Klaten and was attended by approximately 37 participants aged teenagers or school children.
Drg. Ana Riolina explained that smokers are divided into 2 groups, namely active and passive smokers, both of which have the same dangers and risks so they both need to be avoided. He also provided education about what ingredients are in cigarettes and what impact they have on humans, especially teenagers.
These educational activities also begin and end with pre-test and post-test activities to measure how far the participants’ level of understanding of the material provided. Apart from that, games and ice breakers which are packaged in an interesting way are also provided so that it can create more enjoyable interactions between the speakers and the participants present. Rewards or prizes are also prepared during the learning process as a form of appreciation for participants who are more interested in the material provided and have the desire to ask questions or interact actively.