Twenty Seventh Annual World No Tobacco Day was observed by Generation Saviour Association, a non-profit organisation working in tobacco control in the region since 1996 with the support of The Union – South East Asia, a century old organisation working for public Health in partnership with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Punjab, a unit of Tata Memorial, Mumbai herein Chandigarh.
The event was held in GGDSD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh. Chief Guest of the event Sardar Kulwant Singh, Member Legislative Assembly, Punjab addressing the prize winners of the 27th Poster Making Competition said that the youth needs to be saved from the scourge of tobacco by all means.
The government, the research organisations and non-government organisations need to come forward and save the present and future generations. He also congratulated GSA’s for it’s Annual Magazine’s 27th edition which was released during this event.
Dr Ashish Gulia, Director, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Punjab said that “Tobacco use is extremely harmful for health. Studies have proved that tobacco use is linked with diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Adding to it Dr Suman Singh, Director, Health Services, Chandigarh said that Second hand smoking is also extremely dangerous for health. Therefore, Chandigarh is focussing on not just smoke free but tobacco free institutions.
Opinder Preet Kaur Gill, Director Generation Saviour Association whose book –Stories of Smoke and Life was released on this occasion said that tobacco is a gateway to drugs. “Timely intervention can prevent these youth to fall prey to tobacco and later drugs.”
Dr Ajay Sharma, Principal, GGDSD College added. Like every year, this year too GSA conducted a poster making competition to raise awareness about ill effects of tobacco. More than 600 students from 16 schools of tricity participated in it.
Prizes were give to 50 outstanding students for their posters. Representatives of Indian People’s Theatre Association also performed a Nukkad Natak to raise awareness about tobacco.
About GSA
Generation Saviour Association (GSA) is a non-profit organization working in the field of public health since 1996. The Organization is working in close association for tobacco control with World Health Organization, The Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Punjab by Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai an aided institute under the Union Department of Atomic Energy – a Premiere Cancer Treatment, Research and Educational Institute in India.
The hospital acts as a tertiary care centre to patients not only from Punjab but also from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan as well. In the past Generation Saviour Association has taken various initiative for tobacco control in Punjab such as Tobacco Free Mandi, Children against Tobacco Campaign, Sensitization Meetings, Regional Consultations, Awareness Rallies, Youth Completions etc, for which it was felicitated by the Tobacco Control Cell, Punjab on World No Tobacco Day 2019.