Smokers are not selfish
Smokers are not selfish is a health campaign taking place in Nepal with the aim of encouraging individuals to quit smoking.[1] This event spanned two weeks, culminating on February 14, 2024, which aligns with Valentine's Day and Vasant Panchami.[2] The initiative has captured public attention, leading to smokers making commitments to quit the habit.[3] According to reports, more than 1700 individuals pledged to quit smoking during the campaign, which is organised by Dr. Om Foundation.[4]
Background
[edit] The official logo of the "Smokers are not selfish" campaign | |
 Dr. Om Murti Anil concluding the event with his speech | |
| Date | February 1–14, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 weeks |
| Location | Nepal |
| Motive | To help people in quitting smoking |
| Organized by | Dr. Om Foundation |
| Outcome | More than 1700 individuals pledged to quit smoking |
| Slogan | A small sacrifice from me, a big gift for my beloved. |
| Slogan (in Nepali) | मेरो सानो त्याग, मयालुको लागि ठुलो उपहार |
In alignment with Hindu mythology, Vasant Panchami is associated with the worship of Goddess Saraswati, symbolizing knowledge and wisdom. The launch of this campaign on Valentine's Day holds special significance, as it encourages individuals to make a meaningful sacrifice, expressing love to their dear ones by giving up smoking with a purposeful intention.[5][6]
Tobacco use in Nepal
[edit]According to the STEPS survey II carried out in 2019 by Nepal Health Research Council and the government of Nepal with technical support from the WHO, 28.9% of adults (aged 15–69 years) use either smoked or smokeless tobacco products.[7] Among them 17.1 percent are currently smoking. The average age for initiation of smoking among those who smoke daily is 17.7 for men, 18.4 for female and 17.8 for both sexes.[8]
Health impact
[edit]Out of 8 million deaths due to tobacco consumption per year worldwide, 1.3 million are attributed to passive smoking which mainly affects children, elderly and chronic diseased individuals. Among 1.3 billion tobacco users across the world, 80 percent of burden is in lower and middle income countries like Nepal that further signifies the importance of this campaign.[9][10]
Slogan
[edit]According to reports, over 500 people have pledged to quit smoking midway through this campaign. Many individuals have committed to quitting smoking and are embracing the slogan "a small sacrifice from me, a big gift for my beloved." In Nepali the name of slogan is “ मेरो सानो त्याग, मयालुको लागि ठुलो उपहार[11][12]
Public participation
[edit]A 35-year-old man from Lalitpur tried to quit smoking 20 to 25 times in the past but failed every time. Then he joins this campaign and successfully quit smoking and express his feelings in this way,
“I feel I would succeed 100 percent this time in quitting smoking and You motivated me to quit cigarette." He thanks Dr. Om Murti Anil, leader of this campaign, and expresses his desires to meet him when he completely stops smoking.”[13]
In his editorial for Nagarik Daily, Editor-in-Chief Gunaraj Luitel highlights the distinctive and constructive nature of the ongoing campaign. He encourages individuals to contribute their support at their respective levels for this noteworthy public initiative.[14] School children are being involved in quiz, poem and art competitions on smoking and it’s ill effects. This campaign is taking place all over Nepal on virtual platform in initiation of Dr. Om Foundation. With this novel initiative, It’s thought that such involvement may prevent teenagers to get involved in harmful use of tobacco products.[15][16][17][18]
Free health screening
[edit]1700 individuals who stopped smoking as part of this campaign received personal calls and underwent comprehensive health screenings, including free tests for sugar levels, cholesterol, ECG, and Echo to detect any heart ailments, performed by National Cardiac Center Kathmandu.[19] They were encouraged to remain smoke-free and received ongoing counseling and support to prevent relapse. This individualized approach along with cardiovascular risk screening was central to the campaign's strategy to help participants maintain their decision to quit smoking. National Cardiac Centre had also committed to provide similar care and support to those who promise to quit smoking in future.[20][21]
School health programmes
[edit]School Health Education
[edit]To strengthen tobacco awareness among youth, the Dr. Om Foundation launched a nationwide virtual school program as part of the Smokers Are Not Selfish campaign. The initiative aimed to educate students on the health risks of smoking and to prevent early initiation of tobacco use.Approximately 19,000 students from schools across the country participated in these competitions. [22]
Quiz Competition
[edit]The quiz competition was open to students up to grade 12 from schools across Nepal. Participants competed in teams, answering questions related to smoking, passive smoking, and health education. The quiz aimed to improve understanding through interactive and collaborative learning.[23]
Poetry Competition
[edit]Students from grades 1 to 12 were invited to submit poems focusing on the harmful effects of smoking and the importance of quitting. The competition encouraged participants to express health messages creatively and reflect on the social and emotional consequences of tobacco use.[24]
Art Competition
[edit]
The art competition was designed for students up to grade 8, who submitted drawings illustrating the effects of smoking on individuals, families, and society. The activity aimed to convey anti-smoking messages through visual expression and to raise awareness from a young age.[25]
Participation and Recognition
[edit]A total of 17 students were selected and awarded across all three categories based on their creativity, message, and relevance to the campaign theme.A special award ceremony was held in Kathmandu to honor all winners from the quiz, poetry, and art competitions. Mr. Suresh Adhikari, Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, served as the chief guest. Dr. Om Murti Anil personally addressed the event, emphasizing the role of young minds in building a tobacco-free society. Cash prizes, certificates, and medals were distributed as tokens of appreciation for the students’ creativity, effort, and dedication to spreading awareness.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ "Family First: Dr. Anil's Love-Infused Anti-Smoking Initiative". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ त्यागौं, स्वास्थ्यखबर :: आफ्ना लागि नभए पनि मायालुको लागि धूमपान. "आफ्ना लागि नभए पनि मायालुको लागि धूमपान त्यागौं". आफ्ना लागि नभए पनि मायालुको लागि धूमपान त्यागौं. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Republica. "Senior cardiologist Anil urges to quit smoking for the sake of loved ones". My Republica. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Republica. ""Smokers Are not Selfish": School children actively engage in anti-smoking campaign". My Republica. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ काठमाडौँ, नागरिक. "आफ्ना लागि नभए पनि मायालुको लागि धूम्रपान त्याग्न डा.ओममूर्तिको आग्रह". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "मायालुका लागि भए पनि धूमपान त्याग्न डा.ओममूर्तिको आग्रह". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
- ^ "A brilliant reason to quit tobacco - COVID-19". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "STEPS Survey II, 2019" (PDF).
- ^ "Tobacco". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Theilmann, Michaela; Lemp, Julia M.; Winkler, Volker; Manne-Goehler, Jennifer; Marcus, Maja E.; Probst, Charlotte; Lopez-Arboleda, William A.; Ebert, Cara; Bommer, Christian; Mathur, Maya; Andall-Brereton, Glennis; Bahendeka, Silver K.; Bovet, Pascal; Farzadfar, Farshad; Ghasemi, Erfan (2022-08-30). "Patterns of tobacco use in low and middle income countries by tobacco product and sociodemographic characteristics: nationally representative survey data from 82 countries". BMJ. 378: e067582. doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-067582. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 36041745.
- ^ "सुर्तिविरुद्ध वरिष्ठ मुटुरोग विशेषज्ञ डा ओममूर्तिको अभियान, ५१३ जनाले त्यागे धुम्रपान". Healthy Khabar. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ फाउन्डेसन, स्वास्थ्यखबर :: धूमपानविरुद्ध सचेतना अभियान सञ्चालन डा ओम. "धूमपानविरुद्ध सचेतना अभियान सञ्चालन डा ओम फाउन्डेसन". धूमपानविरुद्ध सचेतना अभियान सञ्चालन डा ओम फाउन्डेसन. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ "'Smokers are not selfish' campaign to motivate people to quit smoking". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ काठमाडौँ. "धूमपानविरुद्ध 'माया अस्त्र'". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2024-02-04.
- ^ "धुम्रपानविरुद्धको अभियान : डा. ओम फाउन्डेसनद्वारा देशव्यापी विद्यालयस्तरीय प्रतियोगिता". Lokaantar (in Nepali). Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ प्रेस, नेपाल हेल्थ (2024-02-07). "'धूम्रपान विरुद्ध डा.ओममुर्ति को विद्यालय स्तरीय सचेतना अभियान'". Nepal Health Press | नेपाल हेल्थ प्रेस. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ "National School Competition: Art, Quiz, and Poetry Contest". edusanjal.com. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ "School-level open nationwide art, quiz and poetry competition in offing". English.MakaluKhabar.com. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ Republica. ""Smokers Are not Selfish": School children actively engage in anti-smoking campaign". My Republica. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dr. Om Foundation orchestrates campaign to address challenges of smoking cessation". Khabarhub. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ काठमाडौँ, पवित्रा सुनार. "प्रेम दिवसमा 'खैनीचुरोट छाड्ने कसम'". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ प्रेस, नेपाल हेल्थ (2024-02-09). "किन सानै उमेरमा बालबालिका चुरोट खान थाल्छन्?". Nepal Health Press | नेपाल हेल्थ प्रेस. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "National School Competition: Art, Quiz, and Poetry Contest". Edusanjal. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Power Of Simple Acts To Drive Societal Change". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ प्रतिबद्धता, स्वास्थ्यखबर :: डा ओम मूर्तिसँग १६ सय जनाले जनाए धूम्रपान नगर्ने. "डा ओम मूर्तिसँग १६ सय जनाले जनाए धूम्रपान नगर्ने प्रतिबद्धता". डा ओम मूर्तिसँग १६ सय जनाले जनाए धूम्रपान नगर्ने प्रतिबद्धता. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Dr Om Foundation distributes awards to the winners nationwide school level competitions". myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2025-05-30.