Seminar arranged to mark World No Tobacco Day

PESHAWAR: The Public Health and Community Medicine Department of Northwest School of Medicine (NWSM) arranged a seminar to mark the World No Tobacco Day to commemorate the annual global campaign against the harmful and deadly use of tobacco and second-hand smoke exposure.

The purpose of the seminar was to encourage the students and faculty members to quit the use of tobacco and run public health advocacy in their community.

The aim was also to raise awareness about the epidemic of all forms of tobacco and preventable diseases and deaths.

Students were addressed by public health experts and principal Public Health and Community Medicine Department of Northwest School of Medicine on the hazards of smoking.

It was stated that as many as eight million deaths were caused by tobacco use and one million died from secondhand smoke exposure.

Besides, a public health hazard, the global tobacco industry consumes 22 billion tons of water, chops down 600 million trees, and releases 84 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Thus it also contributes to climate change and global warming.

The students showed tremendous interest and participated in five categories: charts, standees/ banners, videos, presentations and paintings.

Nauman Arshad, Amna Khan & Aiman Zahir, Shayan, Hashir and Awais Ahmad were awarded certificates for excelling in each category, respectively.

There were also submissions from Indian students which shows the importance of this global public hazard. In the end, students took a public oath to say “NO to Tobacco in all forms”!