Wolrd no tobacco day


2009

Salaam Bombay Foundation started a month long national and state level campaign for the World No Tobacco Day this year. Talking to youth and taking forward this year’s WHO’s World No Tobacco Day theme of Tobacco Health Warnings, we kick started the campaign with MTV. Youth were  seen keenly debating about tobacco issues, wondering why they smoke if they cannot impress girls and acknowledging the fact that Tobacco only ruins their health and that for Gen Next smoking is uncool.

On 31st May the channel showcased the issue 24 hrs and put up opinions of youth through an SMS campaign and Vee-jay’s raised a voice against Tobacco through various program and proudly supported the Proud to be Smoke Free Mumbai campaign.

This year support from the Indian telly stars was very forthcoming, especially through a sitcom that portrays kids as central characters. Our children actively participated in radio show on Radio Mirchi, a leading  FM channel and spoke about the dire need of  tobacco law implementation at ground level. Short street plays, information dissemination and learning through fun activities was conducted at various malls across Mumbai over two weekends. In addition postcards with evocative lines were distributed to radio listeners and visitors to the Salaam Bombay, Jumbo King and Cookie man counters were encouraged to write and send messages for loved ones who used tobacco, encouraging them to quit.

An outdoor campaign was plastered across the city on bus shelters, buses, trains and hoardings encouraging and egging people to feel proud to convert Mumbai into a Smoke free city.

2008

2008 World No Tobacco Day became the launch pad for our Quit Tobacco Movement. The campaign, inspired from Quit India movement has become the freedom struggle from tobacco for our children. Children dressed like well known Indian freedom fighters- Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rani Laxmibai, Maulana Azad appealed to the masses to demand a smoke free environment for all children.

The 3 day program started on 29th May at the Amphitheatre of Kamala Nehru Park. Mumbai. The event was inaugurated by late Mr Hemant Karkare, Head of  Anti Terrorist Squad, Mumbai. Other eminent personalities like Ms Meena Naik, theatre personality, Mr. Mir Ranjan Negi, former hockey coach, Ms Nisha Nair, actor, Ms Jaya Row, spiritual teacher graced the occasion with their presence.

Children enacted street plays and songs followed by a ‘March for Freedom’. The March continued across Mumbai, stopping at various locations in the city sensitizing people about the need to create a tobacco free world for children. Street plays were held at various points like malls and railway stations across the city for 3 days and hand-outs were circulated encouraging the public to join the movement and quit tobacco.

There were a number of activities at the malls like Nirmal Lifestyle, R-Mall, The Hub, Pheonix Mills Compound which included interactive games and magic shows. All centered around the anti tobacco theme. Exhibitions at major local railway stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Kurla, Dadar, Andheri, Bandra, Borivali were witnessed by hundreds of daily commuters.

The event was covered extensively by print as well as electronic media. It was also supported by FM Radio Stations (Big FM, Red FM and Radio Mirchi) which helped in creating awareness of the campaign and the ill-effects of tobacco consumption.



2007

Salaam Bombay Foundation celebrated World No Tobacco Day – 2007 with The Mumbai Police force.  The Mumbai police enthused and inspired many by promising to create ‘Tobacco-Free’ police, This drive began with the Crawford Market area on the eve of World No Tobacco Day (31st May).

Mr Dhananjay Jadhav, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai along with Mr Sadanand Date, Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai and Mr Ashutosh Dumbare, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai pledged their support and willingness to have Tobacco Free police stations in  future with active support from Salaam Bombay Foundation.

Canters with anti-tobacco messages drove around the city of Mumbai for 4 days with the message of creating a smoke free environment for all children. A street play was exclusively scripted for this occasion and was enacted in  Phoneix Mills Compound and at Fun Republic Mall. Hundreds of people visited these spaces and the stalls where they  were asked to leave their anti-tobacco messages. They also played interesting games on tobacco free world. Exhibitions were held at railway stations and posters were put up at Bus Depots and inside  buses with relevant messages.

2006

The Super Army children decided to create awareness on World No Tobacco Day in various communities using street plays, songs and an exhibition. Salaam Bombay Foundation tied up with NGOs like Bal Prafulta, REAP, Sahyog and Life Trust to create awareness in their communities also.

The Super Army thus reached out to the communities at  Shivshai Shantiniketan – Dindoshi, Jari Mari – Kurla, Vashi Goan – Vashi, Janshakti Nagar – Andheri (E), Jhoola Maidan – Jogeshwari (E), Korba Mitha Nagar – Wadala (E) and Nadkarni Park.

2005

On the event of World No Tobacco Day, May 31 an army of 735 children from various NGO's fought their war against tobacco at the Damodar Hall, Parel. The war used weapons like pencils, colors, drama and songs. Awareness on the ill-effects of tobacco was created among the children during the sessions and we got an overwhelming response from all of them. They all vowed to work on creating awareness on tobacco issue among their communities and peers.



2004

Salaam Bombay Foundation was invited to conduct a Tobacco Awareness Program at the Darbar Hall, Raj Bhavan on May 31to mark the occasion of World No Tobacco Day. His Excellency,  Mohammed Fazal, Governor of Maharashtra inaugurated and presided over the event.

This event was held for the staff of Raj Bhavan as a gesture of support from the Governor to create more awareness about tobacco abuse among the people of Mumbai. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor stressed on the importance of creating awareness on this dreaded addiction. He felt that strong action must be taken to curb its use.

We also partnered with Radio channel GO 92.5 FM and launched a city-wide initiative called Voices against Tobacco. The citizens of Mumbai were given facts on the tobacco menace and an opportunity to interact with tobacco control experts to address various issues around tobacco use. The radio channel carried out an anti-tobacco slogan contest that had an overwhelming response from college youth.

Messages from prominent citizens and celebrities like Actors Juhi Chawla, Jass Arora,  Dino Morea, Malaika Arora, Tushar Kapoor, Raima Sen, Rinkie Khanna, Himanshu Malik,  Manish Malhotra, Designer, Bittu Sehgal, Environmentalist, Harsh Goenka Industrialist, Tarla Dalal Culinary expert and author, Satish Shahaney,  Director of Nehru Science Centre Anil Deshmukh, Member of Parliament and many more were aired on the radio.

The Voices Against Tobacco campaign reached a crescendo on World No Tobacco Day, with a special message display through a new age Art Projection technology on the façade of the Air India building- a bold symbol of the spirit of Mumbai and an integral part of Mumbai's skyline. Messages for awareness on tobacco, statistics and slogans of the Voices Against Tobacco contest were displayed on the building. The Air India building has been the city's pride for 33 years and withstood the terrible shock of the 1993 bomb blasts. Once again it occupied center stage and proudly proclaimed to Mumbaikars to Say No to Tobacco.