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Imagine an enemy that kills one person every six seconds with non stop-killing. He is also responsible for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide, killing 5.4 million people a year! You may see his shadow at home, work, and even on the street you walk in. What do you think you could do to stop this enemy who threatens every one you love?
This is the question that motivated Nesreen Dabos from Egypt, to start a campaign against smoking tobacco which is described by (WHO) as one of the greatest emerging health disasters in human history. Dabous and her team named their campaign "Hayah bela tadkhen" or "Life Without Smoking" expressing their hope for a tobacco-free world.
The Beginning
"It was 3 years ago, when one of my relatives died from angina pectoris because he was a heavy smoker. Honestly, his death spurred thousands of questions in my mind. How would he face Almighty Allah? Did he commit suicide? How many people die every day due to smoking? So I decided to stop being apathetic and sought to do something beneficial for the Ummah. I thought about a huge campaign targeting youth, urging them to stop smoking. Then I began to spread the idea to muster volunteers" added Dabous..
The team started with only two volunteers, but now there are 22 including public figures, actors, sportsmen and journalists. Every one of them believes deeply that fighting tobacco is a battlefield that needs every breath to win.
"We optimistically hope we can witness "Life Without Smoking", but this wish will never happen if we can't alter the Image of smoking and drug addiction as a kind of pleasure to a dark way that leads to sin and death. In this way, we can create a new community that is aware of the harm of smoking " said Dabous.
Shall we volunteer!
Smokers are always lazy when it comes to stopping smoking. Their pessimistic inner voice continually tells them "it will take long time, you will be very nervous if you give up, you will feel exhausted and you will spend a lot of money for the medical consultant".
’HYAH team’ tries to overcome all these negative feelings. Their main activity is rounding up people from every place where smokers might be; they went to clubs like" shooting and el ma'ady clubs, universities, colleges, schools and places in which they can reach the youth.
Dr. Wael Safawt, the medical consultant for HYAH campaign, who is an ex-smoker, tells us about the system they use to help smokers giving up the habit easily, "A smoker will never give up if he feels lonely, so we depend on (help group) strategy. We treat him in a friendly way, give support in case of failure, and never leave him alone in the early days. We usually try to get him busy with our competitions and matches which strengthen his spirit of challenge," explained Safwat.
The most delightful thing is the results. The team managed to help thousands of smokers to completely give up or reduce the average amount of cigarettes they smoke a day. We have finally begun to hear about places that are completely free from tobacco. Like the Canadian university in Cairo (CIC), the Shooting club and El Ma'adi club.
"Any one who sees a smoker in his home will realize easily that it really is a disaster", added Rabab Gum'ah – one of the Hyah's campaign team members
Gum'ah narrates, "My Dad was a heavy smoker until he suffered a lot. Unfortunately, I lived this tribulation, and I learned that a man's life is really priceless".
The Glorious Quran says, And anyone who spares a life, it shall be as if he spared the lives of all the people)(Al-Ma'Idah 5: 32). Gum'ah reminds herself of this verse every day to keep fighting tobacco.
Right now
As it is summer time, we all go to beaches to enjoy some healthy air. So "Hyah team" launched "Beaches Without Smoking" campaign this week. You will find the campaign's booth in Alexandria's beaches. They are holding competitions and matches among smokers beside their basic activities. It is your rare chance to enjoy your summer while challenging yourself to stop this bad habit.
Do you know!
A huge proportion of people do not realize how smoking is ruinous. According to the World Health Organization (WHO):
- Among young teens (aged 13 to 15), about one in five smokes worldwide.
- Between 80,000 and 100,000 children worldwide start smoking every day - roughly half of whom live in Asia.
- Evidence shows that around 50% of those who start smoking during the adolescent years continue to smoke for 15 to 20 years.
- About a quarter of the youth living in the Western Pacific Region will die from smoking.
Total tobacco consumption is on the rise. The number of smokers in the world, estimated at 1.3 billion today, is expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2025 if the global prevalence of tobacco use remains unchanged. Every second a smoker will die of a tobacco-caused disease.
Unleash your power
Do you feel how serious it is to help people stop smoking? Are you enthusiastic? Hurry up and stop apathy! It is the summer vacation and there is a lot to do. Many people are waiting for your help.
If you would like to volunteer you can Contact Mrs. Rabab Guma'a at 0101878033, but if you are already a smoker and have decided now to be an ex- smoker you can call Dr.Wael Safawt for a medical consultation at 0106696681.
Click here to watch the photo gallery of the "Life Without Smoking Camp"!
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