I am a full-time teacher, currently working in Saudi Arabia and also the founder of a small educational advocacy group called (Occupational Safety & Health) OSHliteracy.org, which advocates for better safety and health education in schools.

To mark Saturday’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31), I would like to raise a concern about a children’s safety teaching resource still promoted on the Cyprus Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance (MLSI) website: Napo for Teachers (NFT).
Once widely used, NFT is now outdated and discredited. Major organisations including Save the Children, the European Trade Union Committee on Education (ETUCE), and even the six original Napo Consortium producers have all removed references to it. Only seven organisations still promote NFT globally, including Cyprus’ MLSI.
NFT features six animated lessons originally created for adults but repackaged and aimed at children aged 7–11. However, the children’s ‘hero’ cartoon character smokes, only drinks alcohol, eats only junk food, and teaches kids how to ‘safely’ climb ladders, fix electrics, use household chemicals, light fires and use knives all without adult supervision. Paid product placement is suspected.

WHO evidence shows that the tobacco, junk-food and alcohol industries do target children. NFT undermines national and international, child-focused safety and health campaigns.

Already overburdened primary school teachers rely on the MLSI to recommend safe, inclusive and age-appropriate materials. NFT fails on all fronts. The lessons also include content that is discriminatory, stereotyped and inappropriate.

I have contacted the MLSI several times and only received a standard response.

I respectfully ask, once again, that the labour ministry joins hundreds of others in removing NFT from its website and helps ensure Cyprus’ primary-school children are taught safety and health in ways that are respectful, relevant and responsible.


J. David Magee, teacher/founder OSHliteracy.org