Worldwide ‘NO Tobacco day’

Worldwide ‘NO Tobacco day’ is celebrated on 31 May. World No Tobacco Day aims to draw attention to the business practices of tobacco companies to capture generations of consumers and their interference in policy decisions that undermines effective tobacco control. World No Tobacco Day serves to highlight what WHO is doing to fight  that kills up to half its users and contributes to more than eight million people dying every year, and what people can do to protect future generations and allow everyone the chance to claim their right to health. 

The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2022 is “Protect the environment “, highlighting that, throughout its lifecycle, tobacco pollutes the planet and damages the health of all people. 

Every year, the theme addresses a specific issue related to tobacco and its industry.  

This year, the theme focuses on the impact of tobacco on the environment and aims to expose efforts by tobacco companies to “green wash” their reputation by marketing themselves as environmentally friendly. 

 The discarded cigarette butts represent the first source of plastic pollution in the world, while the use of pesticides to grow tobacco plants as well as deforestation and the use of large amounts of water to cultivate tobacco, damaging ecosystems and reducing climate resilience. Tobacco companies also contribute 84 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent to greenhouse gases. 

Just as tobacco companies are most active in marketing their products in low- and middle-income countries, so do they concentrate up to 90% of tobacco production in these regions that bear their highest environmental burden. 

The campaign calls on governments and policy makers to step up legislation, including implementing and strengthening existing schemes. Keeping in mind the importance of no tobacco day and hazards of using tobacco and its products, The Economics Department along with the Humanities Departments decided to organize a rally to raise awareness in our college neighborhood.  The main objective of organizing the rally was:

• To create awareness about the health hazards of using tobacco.
• The enviournment degradation
• The loss of life due to spread of cancer, tuberculosis and other dreaded diseases due to the consumption of Tobacco.
• To involve young college students in creating awareness, so that they do not become a prey to the additive habit of consuming tobacco.

The rally was flagged off by Dr. Ravi.J.D. Saldanha, while 

Addressing the staff and students he opined that cigarettes contains 60 cancer causing chemicals and it contains nicotine a  chemical which is additive and cigarette smoker finds it difficult to give up smoking which destroys his lungs and exposes the smoker to cancer and other dreaded diseases.  The principal appealed to the young college students to say No to Tobacco and yes to life.

The Rally was led by Rev.Dr. Bernard Prakash Barnais, the Rector/Manager of the college.

Principal Dr. Ravi.J.D. Saldanha, Former Principal and Chemistry Professor Dr.Alphonsus D’souza, more than 20 teachers of the humanities Department, members of the non-teaching staff and 307 students took part in the rally.

Dr. Sowmya the head of the Department of Sociology welcomed the gathering.  The rally started from the main gate of the college at 10.45 am and went till the millennium circle and entered the college through the front gate.

Ms. Sujatha Devi B addressed the gathering and Mrs. Sowmyashree M proposed a vote of thanks. The programme was compeered by Mr. William the Head of the Department of English.