JOIN USThe Karnataka Cancer Society held an awareness rally on Friday as part of World No Tobacco Day.
As many as 500 nursing and dental students from various colleges in the City participated in the rally, which started at the Malleswaram playgrounds. For several, this was their first rally. Laxmi Kumari, a student from R V Dental College explained that she had joined the event because she felt that such programmes are necessary to drive home the realities of tobacco consumption.
“This is the first time I am taking part in the event and feel that there is a pressing need to have such awareness campaigns,” she said. “It is sad that even though people know about the ill-effects of tobacco, they still consume it.”
In addition to the rally, there were awareness talks. A three-day poster-designing contest was also held whereby participants tried their hand at creating the most effective posters to discourage smoking and highlight the ill-effects of tobacco. Winning teams were awarded prizes by the Karnataka Cancer Society.
Malleswaram legislator, C N Ashwathanarayan, who was present for the rally, called on the government to take more serious steps to ban tobacco products.
He welcomed the government’s decision to ban the sale and manufacture of gutka and pan masala. Ramesh J, a student from St John’s Medical College, stressed the importance of reducing tobacco consumption by young people. “It is important to create awareness among the youth,” he said. “The number of tobacco victims dying because of cancer is staggering and consistent awareness campaigns and rallies on tobacco are needed.”
According to the treasurer of the Karnataka Cancer Society, the programme was a success as it allowed members of the society, activists and medical experts to hold talks on tobacco-related diseases, display posters on cancer, offer free dental screening, checkups for oral and other general cancers at the society office in Vyalikaval.
The event was held by Karnataka Cancer Society in association with several government agencies such as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), State Bank of Mysore and the Malleswaram Co-operative Bank.