Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research (SRIOR) on Monday launched an interactive flipbook with animated videos aimed at creating awareness about the ill-effects of using tobacco products. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S.R. Senthilkumar launched the 15-page interactive digital flipbook in Tamil and English on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day in the presence of R. Sundar, joint managing trustee of SNR Sons Charitable Trust. The digital flipbook containing interactive dialogues and animated videos about the harms of using tobacco, symptoms of diseases and their treatments can be accessed at www.nosmokingsrior2022.digione.in. It has been made similar to a digital graphic novel format. According to the P. Guhan, director of SRIOR and medical oncologist, cigarette smoke contains close to 7,000 harmful chemicals including hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, lead, arsenic, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, etc. “The smoke from cigarette has at least some 50 cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) and they don’t just cause lung cancer but they affect the throat, food-pipe, liver, gallbladder, heart, pancreas, urinary bladder, kidney and may in some cases lead to even blood cancer,” he said. He said that the risk of becoming diabetic increases by 30-40% for those who smoke. Tobacco consumption also affects bone health, impacts the body’s immunity and paves way to face fertility-related issues. Taking tobacco in any form can create these issues, he said. P. Sukumaran, dean and director of Sri Ramakrishna Hospital; C.V. Ramkumar, chief executive officer of SNR Sons Charitable Trust and R. Karthikesh, surgical oncologist at SRIOR were present.
