Tirupati: The director cum Vice-Chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Dr T.S. Ravi Kumar exhorted students to use social media to convert at least ten smokers into non-smokers by the next ‘No Tobacco Day’.
Marking World’s No Tobacco Day, SVIMS observed a flash mob and rally in the city on Friday. On the occasion, the director along with staff and students made a commemorative photo for the backdrop, depicting destruction of tobacco, not only for symbolic significance but to launch a year long ‘Kick tobacco’ campaign.
In view of making this campaign reach everyone, students performed flash mob depicting cancer, lung disease and heart attack, creating awareness about the ill effects of tobacco usage. Slogans of “Quit smoking” were also raised in SVIMS campus. The flash mob was followed by an awareness programme.
Dr Alladi Mohan, HoD, Medicine, said “Tobacco usage is a preventable cause of death. In the world 10 per cent of deaths are taking place due to tobacco usage. Every year 8 million people are dying due to tobacco and 1.2 million are dying due to passive smoking. One can observe only loss to mankind due to the usage of tobacco.”
