‘No Smoking Pledge’ at hospitals, schools

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 22: In an initiative aimed at promoting a tobacco-free environment, more than ten thousand schools and hundreds of health institutions across the Kashmir division have taken the “No Tobacco Pledge.”
The step taken was a part of the ‘Tobacco Free Youth Campaign’ organized by the Tobacco Control Cell of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, in collaboration with the School Education Department, under the directions of Bupinder Kumar, Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department.
Dr Mir Mushtaq, the Nodal Officer for the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in the Kashmir Division, expressed his satisfaction with the program’s success. It marked the first large-scale activity of its kind in the region, with active participation from all health and educational institutions.
The pledge ceremonies were held simultaneously in numerous educational and health institutions as part of the tobacco-free youth campaign, launched by Bhupinder Kumar on World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2023, in Srinagar.
Alongside the pledge, awareness programs were conducted to educate participants about the harmful effects of tobacco. These sessions shed light on the various detrimental consequences associated with tobacco use.