Health Centre and Department of Botany, University of Jammu, Jammu in association with Indian Dental Association (IDA) organised an awareness Rally to mark World No Tobacco Day 2016. Prof.R.D.Sharma, Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, flagged off this rally at from Fountain Plaza, University of Jammu.More than 150 participants took part in this rally which comprises of teachers, non-teaching staff, students, scholars from the University of Jammu and students and interns from Institute of Dental Sciences, Sehora, Jammu.Prof.R.D.Sharma while addressing the gathering said that the real celebrations of World No Tobacco Day is when the people participating in the rally would be able to convince their friends and family members to quit tobacco who are addicted to smoking or chewing tobacco. He warned that the tobacco has harmful effect on every part of the body and is a known agent to cause cancer. Prof.Sharma appreciated the Health Centre, Department of Botany, IDA and participants especially the students from Institute of Dental Sciences for being a part of this awareness rally and working for this noble cause.Prof.Keshav Sharma, Registrar, University of Jammu, said that smoking not only affects the health of a person who smokes it actively but also the people who inhale it passively and children are the worst sufferers. He also said that it’s a known fact that if parents are smoking or chewing tobacco then there is a great chance that their children also get addicted to tobacco. So awareness should be generated to eradicate this menace from our society.
Prof. Yash Pal Sharma, Head, Department of Botany and Convenor, Health Centre Advisory Committee thanked the Vice- Chancellor and Registrar, University of Jammu, and affirmed that the Health Centre would work tirelessly for organization of such awareness programmes in future too.Dr.Gautam Sharma, President IDA and Dr.Bhupinder Singh, Secretary IDA thanked Dr.Y.P.Singla, Principal, Institute of Dental Sciences, Jammu for actively participating in this rally and making it a huge success.Dr.Rajiv Mengi, Dr.Umang Jamwal, Dr.Vasit Khajuria, Dr.Kunal Vuthoo, Dr.Himja Mengi and Dr.Vibha Raina were also present on the occasion.University of Jammu in association with Indian Dental Association (IDA), also organised an awareness lectures on the eve of World No Tobacco Day 2016 in the Seminar Hall of the Department of Botany. On the occasion, Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Pathology, Indira Gandhi Govt. Dental College, Jammu and Dr. Gautam Sharma, Dental Surgeon, University of Jammu and President IDA were the expert speakers. The lectures were attended by a jampacked audience comprising of the non-teaching employees, students and research scholars of the University of Jammu, Jammu. Mr.Sumit Gandotra from Colgate India distributed toothpastes and toothbrushes to all the participants in the rally.