Smoking activities in Educational Institutions
Injurious practice of smoking in Educational Institutions
Lahore, Oct 15: Youth is the future of Pakistan as they have to shoulder the responsibilities
of the nation. For this purpose they should remain healthy and educate
themselves to be the good leaders of future. But it is quite tragic that the
youth of Pakistan is indulged in the injurious practice of smoking, not only in
their houses but also in their educational institutions. Smoking has become a
fashion in the students as they are seen smoking every where. This situation is
quite alarming in the city of schools and colleges, Lahore, where many instances
of smoking in the institutional premises can be witnessed. Smoking in
educational institutions has reached that level where these institutes present a
picture of a bar with students not learning but just ruining their lives. This
unhealthy habit has rotten the lives of many youngsters. Tobacco use is on the
increase in the Pakistani youth because of the aggressive marketing by the
tobacco companies which use all possible means to attract the attention of the
public to their product and it is quite sad that mostly the youth get fascinated
because of their raw minds. There are about 1.3 billion smokers in the world and
approximately 80 per cent of them live in the developing countries. According to
a survey 20 per cent of male and 16 per cent of female college students are
regular smokers and the tobacco use is the single most important preventable
cause of disease as it causes 3.5 million pre mature deaths world wide. This
injurious practice is generally seen in college students because of the liberty
they get after their comparatively strict school life. Tobacco use primarily
begins in early adolescence, reportedly before the time of high school
graduation. Transition from high school to college is a critical period to adopt
healthy habits and life style but unfortunately most of the students are snared
by these unhealthy practices because of various psycho social and physical
reasons. In Pakistan about 100,000 people die every year as a result of tobacco
and a major portion of these deaths includes the youth of the country. Lung
cancer is the vital cause of cancer deaths in males followed by mouth cancer
which are tobacco related and can be prevented if this continuous use of
nicotine in the form cigarettes is avoided. Its continuous use increases the
risk of heart attacks, stroke, pneumonia, chronic lung disease and 20 other
serious diseases. A student generally starts smoking by imitating his smoking
parents, family members, peers and teachers. Perception that smoking enhances
one's image, relieves boredom, helps in easing tension is also major temptation
towards smoking. Although majority of the students suffer from this habit but it
is more common in those belonging to rich families having excess of pocket
money. Moreover media has played a major role in spreading this menace by
presenting a smoker in a glamorized manner. Youths have their ideals in movie
stars who can jump over buildings, fight with dacoits and are seen dancing with
glamorous heroines and in the end smoke cigarettes which fascinate the
youngsters who are ready to imitate their ideals thus becoming a victim of this
habit. Despite the ban of the Government the under age sale of cigarettes is on
the rise as the shopkeepers keep on selling this poison to the youth in the
absence of any monitoring. This injurious practice of smoking gets worst when
most of the students start using heroin and other drugs in their cigarettes. No
educational institution of Lahore is free from this evil as there is an open
sale of cigarettes going on in the canteens or the cafeterias of the colleges
and universities and in the absence of proper checking the life of non smokers
is at an equal risk as that of a smoker. Most of the people when they are young
do not think about quitting this habit and by the time they decide to give up
this addiction it is often too late and permanent damage to health has already
been done. The Government has imposed complete ban on smoking at pubic places
and the time has come to implement it in letters and spirit. Media should
abstain from glamorous advertisements of tobacco and complete ban on tobacco
advertisements should be imposed along with the prohibition of under age sale of
cigarettes. The educational institutions are a sacred place meant for imparting
education and knowledge, not for breeding addicts. The youngsters should realize
their responsibilities towards their families and their country and try to
abstain from this tobacco addiction so that they can materialize the dreams of
our founding leaders, of making Pakistan as one of the greatest nations of the
world. -Khalid Zeeshan (F.P report)
Post your comments
GCU library website declared best
Lahore: An international journal "Programme: Electronic Library and Information
Systems" has declared the GC University's library website "the best
library website of Pakistan." The journal published by Emerald
Group conducted a thorough research on library websites in Pakistan to
analyse their content, navigational strengths and weaknesses and to
give recommendations for developing better websites and quality
assessment studies. The survey of the websites based on
77-item checklists, including updates, number of visitors, essay
accessibility and number of digital books, ranked the GC University
Library website on the top. However, the library websites of the Lahore
University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Punjab University stood
second and third respectively.
Post your comments
Benazir Women University for Punjab
Lahore: Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has said that the government will
establish Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Women University in Punjab. He
stated this during his meeting with the HEC chairman, Dr. Javaid R.
Leghari who called on the governor at the Governor's House here
Wednesday. HEC executive director Prof. Dr. Sohail Hussain Naqvi was
also present. ìBenazir Bhutto Shaheed Women University must
come up to the highest international standards and play its role in the
dissemination of knowledge in the country", the governor said. He asked
the HEC chairman to enhance student enrolment in the universities to
ensure the promotion of knowledge-based economy. He also stressed the
need for the capacity building of the university teachers, adding that
the HEC should focus on Advanced Sciences studies rather than
traditional studies offered at the seats of higher learning in Punjab. "HEC
must also pay close attention to faculty development and academic and
resource strengthening of its campuses in the Southern Punjab cities
like Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan, Multan, Bahawalnagar etc", Taseer said. Punjab
is an agricultural Province and it needs biotechnology to enhance its
productivity to meet the future requirement of food, the governor said,
hailing the role of Punjab University Molecular Biology Center for
producing sugar insulin and "interferon" a medicine for fatal disease
hepatitis in their laboratories which was a great achievement. The
Universities should concentrate on technology production, he added. The
governor urged that the universities should exploit their own resources
and involve the local industry and private sector for raising funds. He
said that HEC should learn from the experience of Cuban scientists who
had excelled in the field of bio-technology.
Post your comments
Japanese students sang Urdu songs
Lahore: Japanese students sang Pakistani national songs 'Dil, Dil Pakistan' and
'Main Bhi Pakistan Hon, Tu Bhi Pakistan Hai' at the concluding ceremony
of their Urdu language short course held at Punjab University New
Campus on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran
was the chief guest of the ceremony which was also attended by Dean
Oriental Learning Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, Principal Prof Dr Mazhar
Moeen, Urdu Department Chairman Prof Dr Tehseen Firaqi, Dr Kamran and
other Urdu teachers. Five Japanese students from Daito Bunka University
under the leadership of Prof Dr Shinoda Takashi have been in the Punjab
University over the last fifteen days for their Urdu language short
course. The vice-chancellor distributed certificates and shields among
the students. The news
Post your comments
| 
