A two-day international workshop on tobacco and Buddhism,  held May 7 to 9 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was the first-ever event of its kind, say officials from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Cambodia, who organized the conference in connection with their nationwide “Tobacco or Health” campaign.

More than 50 people from Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka attended the event. The group included 21 Buddhist monks, along with government representatives, health professionals, tobacco control activists, and observers. The monks, who wield considerable influence over the beliefs and practices of the Buddhist populations in their countries, discussed their role in addressing the tobacco epidemic.

During the workshop, participants voted a declaration that ties into several Buddhist precepts. This declaration was released at a press conference for local and international media and will be shared at temples throughout Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Part of the declaration states, “Monks, who are of the highest moral standing, should be free of nicotine addiction; and, therefore, should not use tobacco. Furthermore, monks should be active in saving lives by preventing tobacco use, establishing smoke-free areas, and helping people to quit.”

The statement also declares that offering tobacco to monks should be considered in the so-called “third category of unacceptable offerings.” In addition, the declaration says that tobacco businesses are unacceptable under Buddhist beliefs because tobacco contains addictive and poisonous substances.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is the first and only non-governmental organization to begin stop-smoking programs in Cambodia, coordinating a widespread anti-tobacco media campaign and helping four temple pagodas become smoke-free. Through nine Tobacco or Health awareness programs held at various pagodas, ADRA has taught more than 300 Buddhist leaders, students, and teachers about the dangers of smoking, and through other ADRA programs helped some 300 monks kick their tobacco addiction. The pilot phase of ADRA’s “Tobacco-Free Kids” campaign was the first of its kind in Cambodia, and was planned and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

Of Cambodia’s nearly 12 million citizens, some 95 percent are Buddhists. There are approximately 55,000 Buddhist monks in Cambodia—more than three times the number of the country’s health professionals—and 3,800 temples.