Strong will Needed to Stand Against Tobacco Use: Rajamanickam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
A tendency to imitate elders often prompts youngsters to use tobacco despite knowing well the disastrous consequences, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Managing Director M.G. Rajamanickam, said today, calling for a strong mind to refrain from its intoxications.

Messages such as ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ warrant display in not just movies but across all walks of life, the top bureaucrat pointed out, while addressing an event KIMSHEALTH organized here in association with the government’s anti-narcotic Vimukthi Mission on World No Tobacco Day.

“One should be determined enough to say ‘no’ to tobacco. Its use affects not just the individual but his/her entire family. Thus, one must be vigilant against the trap,” he noted at ‘Beat the Fumes’ event which the multispecialty hospital conducted as the culmination to its poster-making competition.

KIMSHEALTH Chairman and Managing Director Dr M.I. Sahadulla, said 21 per cent of the country’s population, including young women, use tobacco. The United Nations has come up with motto ‘Protect the Environment’ this year considering the damage tobacco causes to nature as much as the human race, he added.

Excise Commissioner and Vimukthi Mission CEO D. Rajeev, speaking at the function at KIMSHEALTH, blamed easy availability of tobacco for their acquired addiction for the product. “They then go on to use more dangerous intoxicants,” he noted at the ceremony where organizers announced the winners of the poster competition with the theme ‘Protect the Environment — Quit Tobacco’.

Cultural organizer Soorya Krishnamoorthy said the arts are an expression of guarding against all malice. “Good visuals sparingly use written words, inspiring the viewer to think freely,” he added, congratulating the winners of the competition held in three categories.

The winners were Al Mohammed Alish (first) and Ivan M. Christopher (second) in the high school segment. Anith Salu and Pranav Saral won special mention. First in the higher secondary category was Ashwin, followed by Parthik P.P. Thaslim Shajahan and Akshay V.A. won earned special mention. Jisha B. and Shinas Khan finished first and second in the category of Degree and above. Shilpa, Ashish S. Kumar and Aswin R. won a special mention.

The organizers also gave away special certificates to eight participants from NISH (National Institute of Speech and Hearing), Thiruvananthapuram. Present at today’s function were KIMSHEALTH Executive Director E.M. Najeeb and Senior Consultant (Respiratory Medicine) Dr. Ameer K.A.

The poster competition received 374 entries from 47 educational institutions, of which the organizers qualified 207 to vie for honours.

KIMSHEALTH is a two-decade-old state-of-the-art quaternary-care hospital with centres in Kerala’s Kollam, Kottayam and Perinthalmanna, besides abroad in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.