Speech Contest on "Tobacco or Health"

Public Warned of the Dangers of Smoking

Aga Khan University (AKU) held a speech contest on June 7, 2001, to mark the "World No Tobacco Day", and warn the public of the hazards of smoking.

Dr. Naeem Jafri, Vice Chancellor of Ziauddin Medical University, awarding a certificate to the Bilingual Speech Contest winner (left photo) and the runner-up (right photo) during the World Tobacco Day held at Aga Khan University (AKU). Beside Dr. Jafri is Dr. Javed Khan, Associate Professor and Consultant Chest Physician, who initiated the 'no-smoking' campaign in the University.

"Tobacco use is increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan", said Dr. Javaid Khan, Consultant Pulmonologist at AKU. Highlighting the problem of smoking, Dr. Javaid Khan said, "smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world today." He regretted that "majority of the smokers in this country are not aware of the serious health risks that are associated with tobacco use." By quoting a research carried out at the AKU, he said,"75 percent of the 1000 hospital attendants when interviewed did not know that smoking is a strong risk factor in heart attacks; that Nicotine in cigarettes is a more powerful addictive substance than Heroin. Ignorance results in smokers finding no reason to quit this habit."

What is worse, he continued, is the risk posed to the public by way of "passive" or "second-hand smoking." He said, "passive smoking is a significant threat to the public health, but in Pakistan people are not aware of the risks associated with passive smoking." He added that scientific research has confirmed that passive smoking is associated with life-threatening effects including lung cancer and heart attacks, the innocent victims of which are, to our ignorance, normally our children who should be protected from tobacco toxins at all cost.

Prof. Naeem Jafri, Dean, Ziauddin University, stressed the need for universities to take measures in order to educate the younger generation about the havoc tobacco is wreaking in Pakistan. Quoting a research conducted by the Cancer Society, he added, "almost 40% of the cancer cases in Pakistan can be prevented by avoiding the use of tobacco."

Mr. Nadeem M. Khan, Chief Executive Officer and Director General of AKUH, said, "AKU has taken the initiative by making its premises smoke-free from January 2001. He hoped that other hospitals in Pakistan would follow the good example set by AKU, adding that most hospitals in the USA and Europe had already become smoke-free.

Mr. Nurallah Merchant, Director General, University Administration, AKU, said he has directed all the employees of AKU as well as visitors, to strictly follow the University's No-Smoking policy. He stressed that a health care professional should act as a role model for the patients as well as their families, or else the anti-smoking message would be lost.

A speech contest was also held in which speakers urged the government to take strong anti-tobacco measures, including a complete ban on tobacco advertising and smoking at public places.

Later, prizes were also given out to the winners of the speech contest: Sibtain Khalid won the 1^st prize and Abdul Waheed Khan the 2^nd, in the Urdu language speech, while Hamid Bashir and Tariq Naseem won the 1^st and 2^nd prizes respectively in the English language.