CHENNAI: On Saturday, some of the city's youthful rock bands will perform to raise awareness of cancer caused by tobacco on the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day.

`Rock is BAC', scheduled at YMCA Grounds in Nandanam, will feature Junkyard Groove, Thermal and a Quarter and Easy Street. The bands will assemble under the umbrella outfit, the Band Association of Chennai (BAC) that promotes backyard talent.

The show, organised by CAN-STOP (Cancer Support Therapy to Overcome Pain), the outreach initiative of Sundaram Medical Foundation, will also kick-start a series of cancer awareness programmes across the city.

`The youth is perhaps the most important target segment in what is now a global urgency in ensuring a smoke-free future. So, what better way to spread the message than through a rock group identifiable to youngsters,' said Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, who leads CAN-STOP.

"Rock influences passed on from the West have been inexorably linked with drugs, alcohol and smoking. So, it is good to associate with such a cause," said Junkyard Groove's vocalist Ameeth Thomas. This is the BAC's third event and first for a public cause. Obviously, the bands know the limitations of their new-found ambassadorship; so they will focus on interspersing the concert with short awareness messages and let fans who cannot do without smoke or spirits just be. "Ultimately, it boils down to an issue of personal choice," said Amit.

In fact, the message that preventing tobacco-related cancers is largely in the hands of individuals will be the take-away message of the CAN-STOP campaign. India, home to a tobacco market that produces 4 crore cigarettes, 8 crore beedis and 6 crore packets of snuff, accounts of 3 million cancer-related deaths annually.

Cigarettes that pack a deadly cocktail of nicotine, hydrogen cyanide and 4,000 other toxic chemicals can trigger cancers of the mouth, larynx, lungs and pancreas. Passive smokers are not safe either, with second-hand smoke said to contain at least 50 carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents.

CAN-STOP's campaign for the city on World No-Tobacco Day includes `Tar Wars' a graphic-on-asphalt representation of how lungs are blackened by smoking, sticker distribution at CMBT in Koyambedu and a photo exhibition by Sharad Haksar.

Apart from an oral cancer screening camp (May 28-June 2) at SMF, a cycle rally involving school children has also been planned after institutions reopen.

According to Dr. Vijaya Bharathi, the campaign was the outcome of a Health Ministry-convened meeting in New Delhi last month to brainstorm on raising cancer awareness across the country, with the support of World Health Organisation and the Global Smoke-Free Partnership.

The Government of India being honoured with the American Cancer Society's Luther Terry Award for exemplary leadership provided the context to the meeting.

Akila, SMF consultant, gave an overview of legislation (Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003) governing sale of tobacco products in India.

The ticket to Saturday's rock show has been priced at Rs.100 to benefit what is expected to be a sizeable student crowd in the 13-25 age group. Tickets for the show are being distributed at Landmark and Fruitshop chains. CAN-STOP can be reached on 26284256.

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