Cigarette cards are popular among primary school students’ ＂friends circle＂ experts

Don’t panic To guide children to understand correctly, we should also face up to children’s game needs

"pa!" "This is mine!" In the classroom corridor between classes, a group of primary school students gathered around a pile of cards, slapping the ground with their hands on the ground while shouting and playing in full swing. When the reporter approached the inquiry, the students replied that they were playing the recently popular "cigarette card".

Recently, cigarette card games have become popular among primary school students in Guangdong and Hainan, which has attracted the attention of schools and parents. Some parents are worried that it will affect their children’s health, and they are anxious about it: "There was a radish knife in front, now there is a cigarette card, and I don’t know what the next one will be." Many primary schools in Guangzhou have also issued official reminders.

In this regard, many experts said that there is no need to be overly anxious, but schools and parents should promptly understand the influence behind it on children, face up to children’s game needs, guide children to correctly understand, and choose more suitable substitutes to play games.

■ Liao Muxing/map

Reporter visits

Cigarette cards are popular among primary school students’ "friends circle"

What is the cigarette card game that is popular among primary school students? The reporter learned that cigarette cards are made of discarded cigarette cases, and the cigarette labels on the discarded cigarette cases are cut off and folded into rectangular cards. Students put different brands of cigarette cards on the ground, put their hands together and hit the ground. Those who knock over the cigarette cards can win the other card.

With the popularity of games, discarded cigarette cases for adults have become a "social hard currency" among primary school students. The reporter searched for the keyword "cigarette card" on the social media platform, and videos such as "gesture tutorial for taking cigarette cards", "cigarette card folding tutorial" and "cigarette card rarity ranking list" appeared. Some videos have reached tens of thousands of likes, and there are also many students who post their collected photos of cigarette cards on the social media platform with the words "seeking valuation" and "cigarette card display", with thousands of likes and comments, and students in the comment area follow.

A parent in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou showed his son’s cigarette card supply depot to reporters. Dozens of cigarette cards were neatly laid out on the balcony like harvest trophies. This is also what she suddenly found when she came home one day. After careful questioning, she learned that her son had recently become addicted to taking cigarette cards at school. These cigarette cases were "all from children asking his grandmother to ask his neighbors to find them from the chess room." "The boys in the class are playing this game. They often see boys blocking the door or playing in the passage. There are also incidents in which students in the third and fifth grades fight for cigarette cards." Zhan, who lives in Jieyang, also told reporters.

The online store sells cigarette cards with a sales volume of up to 20,000.

The popularity of cigarette cards has also made many businesses rush. The reporter searched on Taobao, Pinduoduo and other platforms and found that there are many shops with the title of "Rare Fine Cigarette Cards" dealing in cigarette cards, and there are also cigarette card recycling applets on WeChat. In Taobao, the store with the highest sales volume of cigarette cards has reached 20,000 orders, and the sales volume in Pinduoduo is even higher, and some businesses have spelled out more than 1 million orders.

In private, students will also trade cigarette cards and make a second assignment according to the grade of cigarettes. "Students will sell each other at a price of 50 cents, but there are also rare cigarette cards, and the most expensive one can be sold to 12 yuan." Chen Tongxue, who lives in Jieyang City.

But not all children will choose to buy cigarette cards. Many students interviewed by the reporter obtained cigarette cards by "collecting discarded cigarette cases everywhere and making them themselves" or "winning cards among classmates". "The school canteen has a printed cigarette card, which is not really a cigarette card. So I didn’t spend money to buy it. " Chen showed the reporter a box full of cigarette cards and introduced the source of the cigarette cards. "The first few were sent by others, and later I won them myself." The reporter then visited shops near many schools in Guangzhou and found that it was rare to sell cigarette cards.

Parents are worried.

"Invisibly plant the seeds of smoking for children"

In fact, it is not the first time that student games such as cigarette cards have sparked heated discussion among the public. From the middle-aged and elderly groups to the primary school students, there are various kinds of crystal mud and wax seals, to the retractable radish knives and the cigarette-making cards gathered in the ground … In recent years, all kinds of novel toys for primary school students have emerged in an endless stream, with new patterns.

"It’s boring to play at home alone." "The students are playing. It’s fun to play together!" "It’s a great sense of accomplishment to win" … Asked why children like to play these games, this is the answer with the highest response rate among children in random interviews.

Parents also hold different opinions on this kind of games. Some parents think that this kind of game is a childlike interest in childhood, and it can also make children play mobile phones less, so there is no need to make a fuss. "Whoever didn’t play games as a child, don’t worry too much about toys, leave a complete childhood."

However, some parents expressed concern that the hidden safety hazards and induced risks behind it should not be ignored: cigarette raw materials remain on cigarette cards, long-term and high-intensity bracelet-twisting is easy to cause tenosynovitis, the tip of radish knife is easy to accidentally injure others, wax seal is easy to burn when it melts at high temperature, and crystal mud is rich in borax, a highly toxic raw material. In addition, "children are young, playing with cigarette cards will invisibly plant smoking seeds for children, and radish knives may lead to violent tendencies …"

School reminder

Encourage comparison, be alert to gambling in disguise

The popularity of cigarette cards has also attracted the attention of teachers and schools. At present, many primary schools in Guangzhou have issued relevant reminders. "A Letter to Parents from Liuxi Primary School in Conghua District on the Harmfulness of Cigarette Card Games" indicates that children may be exposed to the information and culture of smoking in cigarette card games, which will lead to their interest and curiosity in smoking and affect their health; Children may also have bad behaviors such as picking up cigarette cases everywhere, asking others for them at will, and taking credit in the canteen, which encourages the comparison psychology. "A Letter to Parents from Xixian Primary School in Conghua about the Harmfulness of Cigarette Card Games" mentioned that cigarette card games are easy to evolve into disguised gambling, and students will also "steal cards" in order to obtain rare cigarette cards. Excessive exposure to cigarette cards also makes students know a lot about the types and brands of cigarettes, prompting some students to try smoking.

There are also class teachers in Panyu District and Zengcheng District of Guangzhou City, saying that some students even play with cigarette cards to the extent of "computer addiction". Sometimes they secretly shoot in class, and some make their own cigarette cards with drawing paper and cardboard. "The school meeting and class meeting are clear that you can’t bring cigarette cards into school, but some people will secretly play." In teachers’ view, playing with cigarette cards has a great negative impact, which will not only affect daily classes, but also cause health problems.

Expert advice

Guiding children to correctly understand cigarette cards should also face up to children’s game needs

Yu Hui, an associate professor at the Research Center for Basic Education Governance and Innovation of South China Normal University, expressed concern about cigarettes getting stuck on campus. He believes that, although cigarette cards are similar to many card games played as children after 1980s and 1990s, they are not new games, but they should also be distinguished-cigarette cards use cigarettes as a medium, which has its own brand effect, and there is a distinction between high and low grades. Letting children get in touch with cigarette-related products prematurely will not only easily encourage the trend of comparison, but may also have the negative effect of publicizing tobacco information in disguise.

"But parents don’t have to be overly anxious. Tobacco cards are also the carrier of students’ games. We must face up to the needs of children’s games." Yuan Jie, a special researcher at the School of Psychology of South China Normal University, saw the positive side of the cigarette card game. He mentioned that similar to the toys made by children in the last century, such as hoops and gyroscopes, homemade cigarette cards exercised the hands-on practical ability of primary school students, which is the embodiment of children’s development of nature and creativity. In his view, the game is essentially an activity that follows the rules, and it is no different from running and playing ball. As parents, they should give their children reasonable play space, respect their needs for games, and look at the problem of cigarette card games more comprehensively.

Regarding how to manage the home school reasonably, Yu Hui said that schools and parents should know the adverse effects behind the cigarette card in time and guide children to choose more suitable substitutes to play games. "As the first responsible person for children’s physical and mental health, parents should patiently communicate with their children, actively guide their children to correctly understand cigarette cards, and curb bad tendencies in time." Yu Hui said.

In response to the concern that excessive exposure to cigarette cards leads to minors smoking, Yuan Jie said that in addition to explicitly prohibiting minors from smoking, parents should also set a good example for their children to live a healthy life and refuse cigarettes from themselves.

Lawyer’s statement

Selling cigarette cards without permission or suspected of illegal business operation

Regarding the phenomenon of selling cigarette cards around the school and online platforms, lawyer Tang Hao, a partner of Guangdong Nuochen Law Firm, said, "According to the relevant provisions of China’s tobacco monopoly law, cigarettes are franchised products. Without the relevant permission, no unit or individual may sell illegally produced tobacco products, and unauthorized sales will involve illegal business." He pointed out that cigarette cards, as accessories of cigarettes, should be included in the scope of legal regulation.

Tang Hao believes that the sale of cigarette cards to minors is suspected of violating the relevant provisions of the Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the Protection of Minors (hereinafter referred to as the "Unprotected Law"). "Article 55 of the Unprotected Law clearly stipulates that the production and sale of food, medicines, toys, utensils, game and entertainment equipment and amusement facilities for minors shall conform to national or industrial standards and shall not endanger the personal safety and physical and mental health of minors." He said that the act of selling cigarette cards itself is suspected of disguised tobacco marketing. At the stage of immature mind and active curiosity of minors, premature contact with cigarette products is not conducive to the physical and mental health of adolescents.

At the same time, Tang Hao pointed out that the trademark logo of tobacco products must be printed by enterprises designated by the provincial administrative department for industry and commerce, and the act of printing cigarette cards privately is suspected of illegally printing the trademark logo of tobacco products. "According to Article 34 of the Tobacco Monopoly Law, the administrative department for industry and commerce has the right to destroy the trademark logo printed by it, confiscate its illegal income and impose a fine."

New Express reporter Wang Juan Intern Chen Yuhan Xie Lin Chen Yongxin