PAMPORE: Psychological Counseling Cell of Government Degree College Pampore on Saturday held a guest lecture on ‘tobacco is injurious to health’.
Dr. Younis Bashir, Medical Officer Sub District Hospital Pampore as the guest speaker elaborated on the subject before a large number of audience members.
Prof. Shah Lateef, Convener Psychological Counseling Cell formally welcomed the patron of the programme, the Principal, the guest speaker and other participants.
The guest speaker while addressing the audience about the theme stressed that the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year, including around 1.2 million deaths from exposure to second-hand smoke.
“All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco,” he said, adding that cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.
He told that other tobacco products include water pipe tobacco, various smokeless tobacco products, cigars, Cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco and pipe tobacco.
“Over 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide live in low and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest,” he said.
He elaborated that tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco.
“The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial and include significant health care costs for treating the diseases caused by tobacco use as well as the lost human capital that results from tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality,” he said.
He also said that tobacco almost affects all body parts and that the changes brought about by tobacco are permanent.
The Principal and patron of the programme, Prof Dr. Huda Galzai in her concluding address mentioned the steps taken by the district administration to eradicate this menace.
She said that the takeaways of this program are that the participants have to act as ambassadors for helping and guiding the individuals to have a tobacco-free society that will lead to a drug-free society.
She also thanked the resource person for his address.
The program was concluded with formal votes of thanks by the organiser and moderator of the program Prof. Shah Lateef.

BILAL HABIB