Dr. Gautam Delivers lecture on World No Tobacco Day -2023
Jammu, May 31, 2023: Dr.Gautam Sharma (MDS), Dental Surgeon of the University of Jammu and former President of Indian Dental association (IDA) today interacted with the students of Padma Shri Padma Sachdev Govt. College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, on “World No Tobacco Day “. This lecture was organised by Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) Committee of the college on the theme “Commit to Quit”.
Prof. Minu Mahajan, Principal, Padma Shri Padma Sachdev Govt. College for women, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu presented a bouquet to Dr.Gautam. She applauded the efforts of the committee for organising the event which is appropriate to the circumstances of the current times. She emphasised that through such lectures the younger generation will certainly realise that substance abuse is a bane for the society as it eventually leads to substance dependence and chronic health problems.
The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Rashmi Kumari, Convenor of NMBA. She formally welcomed the guest speaker and emphasised on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and discouraged the use of tobacco.
Dr. Gautam Sharma shared his valuable insights, evidence-based research, and practical tips to help individuals make informed decisions about quitting smoking and leading a healthier lifestyle. During the lecture, Dr. Gautam Sharma addressed various aspects of tobacco addiction, including its impact on physical and mental health, the associated economic burden, and the potential benefits of quitting. He said that the theme of this year’s World no tobacco day is “grow food, not tobacco”. World Health Organisation (WHO) has reiterated that the world is confronted with a global food crisis fueled by conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, tobacco is grown in over 124 countries, taking up millions of hectares of fertile land that could be used to grow food, address food security and nutrition challenges and help feed families. Tobacco growing also has serious health impacts on tobacco farmers due to heavy use of pesticides and high absorption of nicotine through the skin.
Furthermore, tobacco farmers often find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of debt as a result of unfair contractual agreements with the tobacco industry and face difficulties in shifting away from tobacco. Fortunately, there are several examples of successful transitions where tobacco farmers have switched to growing high-iron beans, cashew, corn and green vegetables instead. In order to achieve this globally, it is important to adopt an ecosystem approach and identify economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing that will not only enable farmers to earn as much as, if not more than, what they earn from tobacco, and at the same time achieve better health and a better environment for themselves and their land and forests.
World No Tobacco Day, observed on May 31st each year, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and promoting effective strategies for tobacco control. In line with this objective, NMBA committee has organised a special lecture to educate the students on the detrimental effects of tobacco and the importance of quitting smoking.
The event was attended by more than 75 students. Prof Rajni Dogra (HoD economics), Prof Anupama Sharma (NSS UNIT 2), Prof Paramjeet Singh, Prof.Swarn Singh and Dr. Kusum also graced the occasion with their presence. The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Prof. Sunita (HOD) Social Work.
