Experts for declaring educational institutions smoke-free - The International NewsFebruary 18, 2009Muhammad QasimHealth experts say that keeping in view the rising trend of tobacco smoking among students in the country, there is a dire need to declare all educational institutions of the country smoke-free.They believe that all heads of academic institutions should be held responsible to ensure that no one indulges in smoking in the premises of their respective institutions.A number of health professionals have hailed the decision taken by Chairman Islamabad Medical & Dental College (IMDC) Dr Ghulam Akbar Khan Niazi who has taken an initiative on the subject and has declared IMDC as ?smoke-free zone’. ?The News? has also learnt through reliable sources that National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) is also preparing to declare NUST as ?smoke-free? University.’Other heads of institutions should also follow it and declare their institutions ?smoke-free zone? as soon as possible,? said Head of Community Medicine at IMDC Professor Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry while talking to ?The News? adding IMDC is ready to co-operate with all educational institutions located in the capital in their efforts to make their institutions smoke-free zones.’College has already done a lot of work in creating awareness among the masses as well as students against tobacco hazards,? said Dr Ashraf adding in this connection, a seminar on the eve of World No Smoking Day was organized by the IMDC and a brochure titled ?Quit Smoking Before it Kills You? was launched as part of a corporate social responsibility programme that highlights the health hazards of smoking, benefits of quitting and various smoking cessation techniques that could help quitting smoking.Unfortunately, smoking is on increase in the country because of aggressive marketing of tobacco companies, which are particularly targeting youth. At present, about 50% of adults in Pakistan use tobacco in one form or the other, while about 100,000 people die in the country annually by diseases related to tobacco use. A recent research showed that over 16% of girls in Karachi are smokers.It is important that a number of medical colleges in Punjab including Rawalpindi Medical College could not be made smoking free zones as yet.Director Emergency at Benazir Bhutto Hospital Dr Muhammad Mujeeb Khan expressed to ?The News? that our youth should be made aware of the fact that smoking causes cancers, heart attacks, strokes, breathlessness, sleep problems, wrinkles, bad breath, yellow teeth, gum diseases, depression, decrease in stamina, increased colds and coughs, impotence and baldness in males and infertility and low-birth weight babies in females.’They should be aware that on average, a single cigarette reduces seven minutes of precious life of a smoker.? Dr Ashraf believes that youth being future of the nation should be safeguarded from playing with their lives and a lot of work is to be done to provide them smoke free environment.’In order to make all academic institutions smoke-free, institutions should develop and enforce its tobacco control policy. At the time of admission in educational institution, undertaking should be taken from every student that if he/she during his/her tenure in the institution was found smoking, his/her admission might be cancelled,? he said and added that health education campaigns against hazards of smoking should be run in educations institutions for at least six months.Responding to a query, he said as a pilot project, IMDC is ready to provide its services on running anti-smoking campaigns in the educational institutions of the capital to sensitise youth upon smoking hazards and help those wanting to quit smoking. ?We will organize lectures in universities and colleges of the capital and distribute copies of anti-smoking brochures among students.’He said that to get rid of smoking, students should be clearly warned that after six months of health education campaign, if any student found smoking, he/she might be expelled from the institution or hostel. ?Wardens of hostels should be made responsible for keeping effective checks on tobacco smoking. Dr Ashraf said that all educational institutions that have declared themselves as smoke-free zones should be accredited and be issued certificates by Ministry of Health.’Healthy life-style units should be established in all universities and colleges. Tobacco control cells and non-smokers societies should also be established in all institutions of higher learning and teachers themselves should avoid smoking and act as Role Models for students.?

Source: The International News