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Fifth Day of Anti-Smoking kicks off at University of Petra

4/28/2015

 

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A representative of Dr. Marwan Muwalla, the president of the University, Dr. Mohammad Anani the Vice President inaugurated the Fifth Day of Anti-Smoking organized by the Anti-Smoking Commission at the University with the participation of a number of public and private institutions. Dr. Anani showed that this conference aims to raise awareness on the harmful effects of smoking on young people and the community. Jordanian universities have great responsibilities in spreading health awareness and assisting in national efforts to fight the scourge of smoking because of their negative effects on health and physical aspects especially since the statistical indicators show high proportion of smokers.
 
In his opening remarks, the Vice President showed that the University is adopting an anti-smoking strategy in order to ensure the health of the students and raise awareness among students to enlighten their local community, to spread awareness and influence in the community for quitting smoking. Other than that, to highlight the large-induced health risks as well as to participate in the development of effective policies in order to reduce smoking and consumption. He stressed that the allocation of advertising pages including preventive and curative methods aimed to solve the problems of smokers, advertising anti-smoking propaganda, focus on communicating with young smokers through social networks will have the greatest impact in persuading them to stop this bad habit that troubled them.
 
Dr. Nahil Jaberi, the president of the Commission of the Preparatory Committee for Scientific Day said that today’s organization comes from the objective of the University of Petra and the efforts of the Anti-Smoking Commission to find a smoke-free campus environment, to spread the culture prevention of smoking and awareness of the social, health and economic effects. Beside that, the work to curtail the spread of this health scourge among students and other Jordanian societies.
 
She added: “Our Commission began its work more than five years ago. It sought to activate anti-smoking activities in Jordanian Universities in addition to the establishment of the anti-smoking Association as well as organizing a number of seminars and cultural activities and awareness. This helps students to quit smoking, and alert the risks of this global scourge that drain health, and human resources, and work to find a university environment and community repellent to this scourge. "
 
Furthermore, Dr. Jaberi confirmed that the prevalence of smoking is on the rise. To counter it requires participatory societal responsibility, demanding the participation of all public and private bodies and concerned civil society institutions to intensify their efforts and their campaigns for prevention, in order to prevent the spread of this scourge and to create a general culture that smoking is typically a negative danger.  
 
Moreover, Dr. Jaberi noted that representatives from a number of public and private institutions would participate in the Scientific Day. That include the Ministry of Health, the Jordanian universities, community-based organizations and a number of secondary schools.
 
This special day hosted the poet, Jeryes Samawi, former Minister of Culture in an awareness workshop. The Scientific Day Program also included a lecture by Captain Anas Tantawi of the Drug Enforcement Administration and lectures on the reality of cancer in Jordan and another awareness lectures on anti-smoking and competitions targeted on the same subject.