Smoking? That is the worst one could do for health, therefore the motto should be “never start or else stop as early as possible”. Sleeping? Is one of the most important habits, so we should “sleep well to live better”. These were, in summary, the main messages left by Hospital da Luz Guimarães that has held, in the last few weeks, thematic sessions on health for 10 th and 11 th graders of Colégio do Ave and Escola Secundária Martins Sarmento . The goal of this initiative near the school community was to promote healthy life habits and preventive medicine. In both educational establishments, students were able to listen to Pedro Nogueira Costa , Hospital da Luz Guimarães pneumologist, in presential and online lectures. “Tobacco, vapes, and the truth” was the motto of the presential session at Colégio do Ave, where various aspects were approached, namely the inhaled substances in smoking, the dependency created, the short and long-term effects on health, a few myths and truths about tobacco, motives that push people to smoke, and what is smoking cessation. “Sleep well to live better” was the motto of the lecture attended online by students at Escola Secundária Martins Sarmento, where multiple aspects were analysed, namely the functions of sleep, the minimum number of hours of sleep according to age, what is the circadian cycle (“biological clock”), the impact of insufficient sleep on cerebral, emotional and physical level, the impact of digital screens, and the warning signs. Tobacco and sleep are two major factors to lead a healthy lifestyle. Teaching this to youngsters is a challenge that Hospital da Luz accepts as much as possible, in the context of its responsibilities of support to the community – which was the case in these two schools. Whenever the community so requires, we are present.
