---
title: "Football for health: Youth players and officials unite for the \"A Smoke-Free Future\" project"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/86809/football-for-health-youth-players-and-officials-unite-for-the-a-smoke-free-future-project
published: 2026-10-04T04:45:00Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "Social"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Football for health: Youth players and officials unite for the "A Smoke-Free Future" project

> A friendly football match between two generations will take place on Sunday at the football field in Trușeni commune, Chișinău municipality, as part of the "A Smoke-Free Future" project implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Analysis (PAS Center). The match will feature young players aged 10 to 14 from the "Petru Leucă" Football Academy and a senior team composed of representatives from public institutions and organizations involved in promoting health, education, and public policy.

![imagine simbol](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/dfa73aad-b09c-4b68-a0ff-38fb6a25c387.jpg)

*Sursa: imagine simbol*

A friendly football match between two generations will take place on Sunday at the football field in Trușeni commune, Chișinău municipality, as part of the "A Smoke-Free Future" project implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Analysis (PAS Center). The match will feature young players aged 10 to 14 from the "Petru Leucă" Football Academy and a senior team composed of representatives from public institutions and organizations involved in promoting health, education, and public policy.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/2b0c1e5f-df63-430e-bb3c-da3b430f658e.jpg)

According to the organizers, the event aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent the use of tobacco and nicotine products among children and adolescents.

*"The match serves as a tool to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent the use of tobacco and nicotine products,"* states the PAS Center.

Through this event, the organizers aim to convey to children, adolescents, and parents that sports and physical activity can go hand-in-hand with healthy choices and a lifestyle free from tobacco, nicotine, and addiction. The initiative’s central message is: "Two teams. Two generations. One future."

Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Health, the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and Mass Media, the National Health Insurance Company, the National Agency for Public Health, the PAS Center, and other partner institutions are expected to take the field.

The event program includes the official opening, artistic performances, the friendly match, an awards ceremony, and the presentation of certificates. The organizers have also planned group photos and a symbolic moment dedicated to the "A Future Without Smoking" message.

The event is organized as part of the "A Smoke-Free Future" project, funded by the National Health Insurance Company’s prevention fund and implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Analysis in partnership with the "Petru Leucă" Football Academy. The PAS Center draws attention to the fact that the use of tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and young people remains a significant public health issue in the Republic of Moldova.

Data from the 2019 GYTS Moldova survey indicate that 16.3% of adolescents aged 13 to 15 consumed tobacco products, while 12.7% used electronic cigarettes. Among them, 16.8% of boys and 8.4% of girls used electronic cigarettes. Furthermore, 31.7% of adolescents in the same age group reported having tried an electronic cigarette at least once.

According to the PAS Center, new tobacco and nicotine products can appeal to adolescents due to their flavors, design, accessibility, and the ability to use them discreetly. These characteristics can facilitate the initiation of use and the development of addiction.

*"Nicotine is particularly problematic for adolescents because the brain continues to develop until around the age of 25, and exposure to nicotine can affect processes associated with attention, learning, and impulse control,"* the statement reads.

The organizers emphasize that the use of emerging tobacco and nicotine products does not preclude the consumption of traditional cigarettes. The concurrent use of multiple types of products can contribute to sustaining addiction. In this context, preventing the initiation of use and creating an environment that encourages a tobacco- and nicotine-free lifestyle are presented as necessary measures to protect the health of children and adolescents.

The event will open at 10:00, and the football match will begin at 10:30.