No Tobacco Day

With a significant fraction of the population involved in puffing away their lives through tobacco smoking, the World Health Organization has declared 31st May as “World No Tobacco Day” to draw attention to the hazards of tobacco use. It is a day to remind people that a habit that they dismiss as harmless is a potential threat to them and the people around them. Hence, World No Tobacco Day not only offers an opportunity to enlighten people about the harmful effects of what they are willfully choosing but it also paints a bigger picture of the collective impact of this habit on society and future generations.
To mark this occasion, The Literary Society, HITEC-IMS arranged an event that welcomed a diverse audience ranging from students of the HITEC Medical and Dental colleges, HITEC school and university. It took place in the HITEC auditorium to create awareness regarding the dangers imposed by Tobacco in its different forms.

The event commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by naat- e Rasool- e Maqbool ﷺ. The results of a survey conducted by the literary society regarding the prevalence of smoking amongst medical students were presented. Following this, a seminar session was conducted by the worthy speakers Maj. General (R) Prof. Dr. Hamid Shafiq HI(M), Principal Medical
College HITEC-IMS, and Prof. Dr. Irfan Shah, Principal Dental College HITEC-IMS, greatly enlightened the audience. They elucidated how tobacco smoking has the young population wrapped around its finger regardless of its dire consequences. The idea of awareness was also reinforced through a skit
presented by the Dramatics Society, of HITEC-IMS, which was well received by the audience. It depicted not only the active effects of smoking on the individual involved but also the passive effects on the people who surround them, primarily his/her immediate family. It concluded that imminent ill health is in the cards of not only the perpetrator i.e. the smoker but it eventually follows the whole family. Being tied closely to a person’s daily life, the skit was short and deeply impactful.

Simultaneously, a poster competition among the student houses was arranged. The students, through their creative and vibrant posters, expressed how they saw the harmful effects of tobacco use. The artwork not only exhibited their artistic talent but also the depth of their thoughts which was on display in an illustrated manner. At the end, prizes were distributed among the winners of the poster competition. The event was wrapped up with the hope that the individuals who were part of this event would not only refrain from tobacco use but also educate those around them and stop them from indulging into this harmful habit.