“We didn’t want to stop with awareness initiatives on. We wanted to remind people every month to quit tobacco, and reach out to help them achieve this goal,” says Dr Guhan, who heads the Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research. He has just launched a 15-page digital flip book that is interactive and adopts a digital graphic novel format to tell readers on how to quit tobacco. The videos can be accessed, played for free, and shared widely. “Any discussion in the form of animation brings a light-heartedness to the topic. As a result, people engage with it easily,” he points out.
As per the World Health Organisation, tobacco kills eight million people every year and destroys our environment, further harming human health, through the cultivation, production, distribution, consumption, and post-consumer waste. “Consuming tobacco in any form risks one’s health. The cigarette smoke contains as many 7,000 harmful chemicals including hydrogen cyanide. In India, over 200 million adults consume tobacco. Despite awareness, there has been only a slight fall in numbers of people who have quit tobacco as per the G lobal Adult Tobacco Survey, a global standard for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use. (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco,” explains Guhan.
The animated videos spread the word on real facts, without creating a hype. It follows a narration, where the animated characters ask the questions a common person would like to know from how to quit tobacco, symptoms and cure for cancer caused by consuming tobacco.
After a series of apps, digital pamphlets, e-books, short films, digital awareness vans and an exclusive website on cancer, he says they are constantly exploring all kinds of online platforms to increase awareness. “Addiction among young adults are higher. It’s because they have easy access. The awareness should start at shopkeepers and at homes. Parents are the role models. May be the actors on the big screen can also reach out in a big way. In those days, actor MGR portrayed himself as a hero who is teetotaler and had a big influence on people. We need such reel heores too on the big screen.”
He reiterates that people should understand that tobacco in any form is poison. “It damages your immune system, vision, hearing, lungs andleads to multiple cancers. It is like carrying a ticking bomb in your hand.” Dr Guhan adds,“Besides highlighting facts like how one’s longevity is reduced because of tobacco consumption the videos also direct them to take help from support groups, NGOs and hospitals for counselling andnicotine replacement therapies.And, adopting a healthy lifestyle. The flip book is just a reminder.”
The book can be accessed at www.nosmokingsrior2022.digione.in
