Dig through the trash can and buy your own cards online to show off
Some primary school students are addicted to "cigarette cards" and need to be vigilant
For some time, Li Fei (pseudonym), who runs a convenience store in Beihai City, Guangxi, has discovered a strange phenomenon: there are often elementary school students in front of the cashier counter, staring directly at the tobacco products on the cigarette rack and constantly asking about the price: " How much does this cost? What about that?"
Li Fei felt very strange. After careful observation, he found that many primary school students walking in groups after school almost each had one or even several cigarette boxes in their hands, filled with "cigarette cards" of different colors. , "My aunt's child even asked my mother to help him collect 'cigarette cards'." Li Fei said with a wry smile.
During the investigation, reporters from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily learned that "cigarette cards" have recently become popular on primary school campuses in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hainan and other places. Some students are addicted to taking photos of "cigarette cards", and some students take photos of "cigarette cards". Card" has been separated from the game level.
"Cigarette cards" are cigarette labels cut from cigarette boxes and then folded into cards the size of playing cards.
Zhang Li, the head teacher of a village primary school in Guangxi, discovered that since this semester, many children have become obsessed with the "cigarette card" game. During and after school, at the back door of the classroom, on the playground and even on both sides of the road, children in groups took out colorful "cigarette cards", squatted or lay on the ground, and competed to play cards. The rules of this game are very simple. One party flips the "cigarette card" over by hitting the ground or hitting the air, and the winner can take away the "cigarette card".
Liu Yuan (pseudonym), a primary school teacher in a town in Heyuan City, Guangdong Province, noticed that some students were secretly folding "cigarette cards" during class, and some students were reminiscing about the "cigarette card" game in class, trying to figure out how to have a better chance of winning. In response, Liu Yuan would confiscate their "cigarette cards" on the grounds of disrupting classroom discipline and throw them into the trash can, "but they would pick them up from the trash can and continue playing while I was leaving the classroom."
What worries Zhang Li is that some children play "cigarette cards" to the point of becoming "obsessive". Some students secretly take pictures of cards during class to "practice their skills"; or put the cards in their pencil cases to "appreciate" them quietly; some students have quarrels or fights with their classmates when exchanging "cigarette cards".
"If this continues, it will undoubtedly affect students' learning." In mid-March, Zhang Li's village elementary school issued a ban on "cigarette cards". "Each class emphasized to students that it is forbidden to bring 'cigarette cards' to school. If they are found If someone violates the ban, the teacher can confiscate it directly."
However, many students are "battling wits and courage" with their teachers. Liu Yuan found that there were fewer students playing "cigarette cards" in the teaching building, but there were still students taking "cigarette cards" in the dormitory areas. "They think the probability of being discovered by teachers in these places is relatively small."
The reporter's investigation found that most primary school students don't have much pocket money, so they spend a lot of energy collecting cigarette boxes. In addition to staring at the cigarette boxes at home, they will also ask their grandparents or other relatives for cigarette boxes. Some parents said that because of playing "cigarette cards", their children know more about cigarette brands than adults who smoke. Some students asked their parents to buy "cigarette cards" online.
These students who are obsessed with "cigarette cards" will pay special attention to the trash cans on their way to and from school, collect cigarette boxes discarded by others on the roadside, and even go to garbage transfer stations to search for cigarette boxes. "If you go to the trash can to pick up 'cigarette cards', you can easily get infected with bacteria and get sick." What worries Liu Yuan is that students often lie down on the ground to take pictures of "cigarette cards", which is very unhygienic.
What is particularly alarming is that among some students, taking "cigarette cards" has gone beyond the level of a game and is being upgraded to "gambling." Everyone places a bet first, and the losing student must give the corresponding number of "cigarette cards" to the winning party, or directly give cash or other items.
In some shops around campus, some businesses sell "cigarette cards" to minors, which encourages this unhealthy trend.
At the end of March, law enforcement officers from the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Haikou City, Hainan Province launched a special inspection operation on the sales of "cigarette cards" in stationery stores, toy stores, etc. near schools in the jurisdiction. Law enforcement officers from the Meilan Branch of the Haikou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation discovered that some manufacturers were printing and selling cigarette boxes with trademarks such as "Zhonghua" and "Hetianxia" without authorization.
On the Internet, primary school students can buy "cigarette cards" more easily. The reporter saw on an e-commerce platform that 5 stores selling "cigarette cards" showed that more than 1 million pieces of the products had been sold, and 15 stores showed that more than 100,000 pieces of related products had been sold. No information such as age is required, and everyone can do it. Buy. The "cigarette cards" sold in these stores include not only domestic cigarette brands, but also foreign brands.
The reporter entered a "cigarette card" exchange group on a certain social platform. The group members took photos and showed off their "cigarette cards" to show off: "Do you think I am rare?" "This one of mine is worth all yours." Who has the purple Yellow Crane Tower? Take it." The reporter found that the background of many of them taking "cigarette cards" was primary school textbooks and other books.
Some "cigarette card" enthusiasts claim that cigarette cards on e-commerce platforms also have advantages and disadvantages: "cigarette cards" priced at 1-2 yuan each are basically imitations printed by merchants and are "not of high value"; Some rare authentic products, that is, "cigarette cards" cut directly from cigarette boxes, sell for even higher prices - a Zhonghua brand is 5 yuan, a Jiaozi brand is 10 yuan, the "Hetianxia" series is as high as 20 yuan, and some are as high as 100 yuan. For cigarettes worth RMB 1,000 or RMB 1,000, they will grade the "cigarette cards" based on the price of the cigarettes.
What worries Liu Yuan is that some fourth- and fifth-grade students in the school have started smoking. "It is not a trivial matter for primary school students to become addicted to playing 'cigarette cards'. Schools, parents and all parties in society should pay attention to it and quit this bad habit as soon as possible."
In 2019, eight departments including the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education issued a document requiring strict investigation and punishment of illegal sales of tobacco products to minors. Tobacco specialty retailers must set up signs in prominent locations stating that they do not sell tobacco products to minors and must not sell tobacco products to minors. People sell tobacco products.
In the convenience store, Li Fei observed that the popularity of "cigarette cards" among younger people will lead to minors being exposed to tobacco products earlier.
Zhang Li believes that "some rural children regard taking 'cigarette cards' as a fun and easy-to-obtain toy. Children should be guided so that they can play happily and study seriously."
Law enforcement officers from the Haikou Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau stated that some merchants print and sell "cigarette cards" without authorization, are suspected of forging or manufacturing registered trademarks of others without authorization, or selling counterfeit or unauthorized registered trademarks, and will bear corresponding legal responsibilities. In addition, the behavior of merchants buying and selling "cigarette cards" is contrary to the construction of the campus environment and the spirit of protecting minors, and has a negative impact on the psychology and values of minors. In this regard, they will conduct further investigation, and schools and parents should strengthen the supervision of primary school students. educational guidance.
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily trainee reporter Chen Xiao Liu Yinheng reporter Cui Li Source: China Youth Daily