Bandung, June 12, 2025 – The Graduate School of Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in Indonesia hosted a special lecture titled “Smoking and Sports Performance”, offering a scientific insight into the relationship between smoking habits and athletic performance. The event engaged lecturers, researchers, and students in a lively and educational discussion.
Guest of honor and keynote speaker for the day was Prof. Riccardo Polosa, full professor at the University of Catania and founder of CoEHAR (Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction), who presented the key harmful effects of smoking on health and athletic performance. His participation took place within the framework of the LEGO Project – Italy-East Asia Cooperation: from Local Expertise to a Global Outlook, promoted by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice with the support of the European Commission.
The LEGO Project, funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU as part of Italy’s PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), aims to foster internationalization and scientific cooperation between European and Asian universities. The University of Catania is an official partner of the project, and Prof. Polosa is the first faculty member to implement the international mobility activities to Indonesia. The project’s goal is to strengthen the academic and institutional capacities of the partner universities through training activities, scientific exchanges, and joint public health awareness campaigns—particularly in the area of tobacco harm reduction.
“It was a valuable opportunity to expand the academic community’s knowledge at Unpad on issues related to preventive health and sports,” said Prof. Ronny Lesmana, one of the event’s organizers.
During his lecture, Prof. Polosa explained how the high prevalence of smoking, even among athletes, poses a public health challenge and undermines the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The harmful substances in cigarettes impair lung function, hinder oxygen transport to the muscles, and increase cardiovascular risk. This results in a notable decline in endurance, aerobic capacity, and physical recovery, significantly affecting athletic performance. The professor also emphasized the critical role of coaches, educators, and families in delivering evidence-based knowledge to younger generations:
“It is essential,” Polosa stressed, “to implement effective educational programs aimed at reducing tobacco use, particularly in sports settings, to improve both health and performance.”
Internationalization and Global Impact
This lecture marked a strategic step forward in the field of international academic cooperation, with a strong impact on interdisciplinary education and the creation of scientific networks between Europe and Asia. Through the LEGO Project, the fruitful collaboration between the University of Catania and Padjadjaran University is further solidified. This partnership is already well established through ongoing research projects led by CoEHAR, including REPLICA and SMILE, conducted jointly by the two universities—despite being located on opposite sides of the globe.
The cultural and scientific exchange encouraged by these programs contributes to the growth of CoEHAR and the entire academic community involved. It has direct implications for the application and real-world transfer of harm reduction research and health education—especially in high-smoking-prevalence regions like Indonesia.
