WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

May 31, 2002

An Animation Film (Tobacco Terror), produced by HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) and SHAN (Student Health Action Network) for anti-tobacco advocacy, was released today by Shri J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Special Secretary (Health), Government of India. The 3-minute film was exhibited to a gathering of school and college students, teachers, sports persons and other community members at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. It utilized the images of the World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings by hijacked planes to draw analogy to the attack on lungs and heart by cigarettes, bidis and cigars. The film calls for action to combat tobacco terrorism which claims more than 10,000 lives every-day.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sajeeva Ranaweera of the World Health Organization called for delinking sports from tobacco as the association of the two, as promoted by advertising and event sponsorship, has a powerful influence in attracting young persons to tobacco products. Ms. Rachna Govil, representing the Sports Authority of India, said that no sports person dedicated to his or her sports would ever indulge in the tobacco habit as that would damage health and detract from fitness. Mr. Prasada Rao said that the awareness of the harm caused by tobacco was growing in the country but much more effort was needed for education and advocacy so that judgments by the Supreme Court and the proposed legislation for tobacco control could be effectively implemented and enforced with public support. Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, coordinator of HRIDAY-SHAN, said that the film was part of a continuing advocacy by these youth based organizations and would be supplied to schools, industries, media and other interested agencies for exhibition in public interest.

Press Release Sent By
Prof. K. Srinath Reddy
Coordinator HRIDAY-SHAN &
Professor of Cardiology, AIIMS
e-mail: info@hriday-shan.org