A casual reading of an article on tobacco was a life-changing moment for A. Anwar, who was addicted to smoking then.
“I started attending tobacco cessation programmes at the Cancer Institute and have stayed away from cigarettes for over three years now. ,” says Anwar, who now creates awareness about the need for quitting tobacco use by sharing his experience.
Family support is a must for people who want to quit smoking, he adds.
Such people and cancer survivors encouraged other people by sharing their success stories at a programme organised here on Saturday to spread awareness on the hazards of smoking and tobacco addiction. Uday Raj, another participant, said the meeting has encouraged him to quit smoking.
A panel of specialists from Apollo hospitals elaborated on the impact of tobacco use on health, particularly the heart and risk of cancer . Element H Psychological Support Services had organised the programme along with Synergy Group and Niraivagam of Don Bosco School.
Sandhya Rani of Element H Psychological Support Services, said “we advised people to approach counsellors if they can’t quit tobacco use on their own. We plan to screen this video in other meetings and create awareness.”
Cancer survivors had a befitting honour with a fun-filled programme organised by VS Medical Trust on the occasion of Cancer Survivors Week.
They were joined by music director Gangai Amaran, playback singer Srinivas and senior medical oncologist S. Subramanian.
Cancer survivors and those who battled addiction shared their experiences at an event
