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On a special mission, always
TRAVELLING FROM Faridabad by train, you might not notice a bespectacled man sitting next to you. But if you are smoking he probably would. K.P. Narayanan, a 52-year-old man who works for a law firm, is devoted to spreading the anti-tabacco message. He started his awareness drive almost a year ago by handing out "freedom from tobacco'' handbills on train to all tobacco users.
Crammed with facts illustrating the harmful effects of consumption of tobacco, Narayanan claims that "people, if asked politely not to smoke, get touched and when faced with actual facts about the hazards of smoking, they give up the habit.''
Founder of Swasthya, a non-governmental organisation, devoted to spreading this message, Narayanan has received support from the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Family Welfare for his considerable efforts. Targeting the youth, Narayanan has "half a dozen schools'' already converted to the cause. Stating that tobacco is the second biggest killer after AIDS, Narayanan stresses the importance of informing children about the killer-potential of tobacco, as they constitute the most vulnerable group because of the "glamour'' associated with smoking.
Committed to spreading his message, he has managed to rope in a number of doctors from noted hospitals like Escorts and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to actively campaign for his cause. He also organised a seminar at the Holy Child Public School last year and plans to hold many more. The seminar included a brief history of tobacco, facts about the harmful effects of smoking, films to leave a "visual impact'' and an art-work by children inspired by the theme "Freedom from Tobacco''.
Apart from spreading awareness among the youth, Narayanan emphasises the need for having community programmes for adults. He suggests a "session'' in which tobacco-users interact with doctors, who then advise them on further treatment.
One of the hard-hitting statistics provided in the "Freedom from Tobacco'' handbill is that 90 per cent of cancer patients are found to be smokers, and yet not very many hospitals are equipped to deal with this dreaded disease.
India is said to have a shocking 5 million child smokers with 55,000 children starting regular tobacco use every year, according to a pamphlet printed by the World Health Organisation titled " The Great Tobacco Conspiracy Exposed''. Given this statistics, the country indeed needs more dedicated people like Narayanan.
By Mandira Nayar
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