The Youth Red Cross unit of Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology conducted an awareness programme on “Harmful Effects of the Usage of Tobacco” on 30.01.2023 at the college premises. The resource person for this programme was Dr.Arun.K.Simon, M.D.S, Reader & Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital, Coimbatore.  

He initiated the session with explanations about different types of tobacco such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipe tobacco. Under the type cigarettes, he briefed about the Nicotine addiction, and the harmful effects of first, second and third kind of smoking. He discussed the side and major effects of chewing tobaccos such as gutkha, khaini and pan masala. He also discussed the ill effects of E-cigarette, snuff, pipe tobacco users.

Under the long term effects of tobacco, he insisted that the addiction of tobacco will cause cancer in the lungs, mouth, throat, kidney, stomach, liver which leads to death ultimately. Smokers are more vulnerable to Covid. The usage habit of tobacco mostly begins during the college life time. So he requested the students not to use tobacco under any circumstance.

He clearly mentioned in his presentation about the benefits of being tobacco free and benefits of quitting smoking. He also discussed the prohibition acts of Tobacco and insisted that smoking and sale of tobacco products are completely banned in many public places such as in working places, educational institutions and in health care centers.  

During his presentation, he created an awareness on the ill effects of the usage of Tobacco and insisted the students to create a tobacco free world. One hundred and thirty eight first year students of Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology participated in this awareness program and got benefitted.