Middle school students smoke in classroom

What happened to the simple days when underage students would smoke in back alleyways?

By Isaac Kim

Middle school students caught smoking in their classroom were fined for their outrageous behavior. The school filed a complaint against them to the local health center, and the students faced severe punishment.

According to the Gwonseon-gu Health Center in Suwon on July 31, four 16-year-old middle school seniors were caught smoking with the windows open by a teacher on July 4. The students underwent anti-smoking classes at the health center and served five days of volunteer work.

They were also fined 100,000 won each, which is the amount many adults have to pay if caught smoking in non-designated smoking areas.

“The school reported it to us, and they were fined,” said one health center affiliate. “The entire school region is smoke-free, so despite their age, they were charged with the full amount of the fine,” a center official said.

“The school decided this was a matter for the local health center to handle,” said a school official. “We knew the kids would have to pay a heavy fine, but we decided to report them anyway.”

Controversy has stirred about the school’s decision to report the incident to the health center rather than tackling the problem on its own.

The official added, “Students caught smoking in the future will be forced to undergo anti-smoking lectures at the health center.”

“The Gyeonggido Office of Education does not encourage the school’s decision,” said a Gyeonggido Office of Education official. “The consequences for these kids may be effective in the short-run, but it is the teachers’ duty to guide students to make better decisions.”