HPB seeking counselling services for secondary school students to stop vaping, smoking

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is looking for vendors to provide counselling services to secondary school students who need help to stop vaping and smoking.

- David Sun

HPB put up a tender on government procurement portal GeBiz on July 23, calling for proposals as part of its vaping/smoking cessation programme for 150 students.

It will run for a year, with an option to renew for up to six months for an additional 25 students.

All public-sector invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on the GeBiz platform.

Tender documents indicate that the virtual counselling services will be for the programme's pilot, which will focus on secondary school students.

It said students referred by the relevant authorities and schools will be immediately enrolled in the programme.

These students are expected to undergo four intervention sessions and two follow-up sessions.

The intervention sessions are to be conducted within a month, with each session lasting at least 20 minutes.

The first session includes an online questionnaire to evaluate a student's attitude and behaviour towards cigarette smoking or vaping, and a pre-cessation survey.

During the fourth session, the student will be asked to take a cotinine test to detect nicotine, which is found in cigarettes and vapes.

The follow-up sessions are to be conducted within five weeks, and each should last at least five minutes.

The final session will include a post-cessation survey.