Smokers are not selfish

Smokers are not selfish was a health campaign that took place in Nepal with the aim of encouraging individuals to quit smoking.^[1] This event spanned two weeks, culminating on February 14, 2024, which coincided with both Valentine's Day and Vasant Panchami.^[2] It was initiated by cardiologist  Dr. Om Murti Anil. It used an emotional appeal that framed quitting smoking as a meaningful act of love for one's family.^[3] According to recent data, it successfully helped 2500 individuals to quit smoking.^[4]

The campaign was predominantly digital, using Facebook and other platforms to raise awareness about tobacco risks.  Participants were encouraged to make online pledges.  Free health screening, medical support, and community participation were key activities of the campaign.

School children were involved to help raise awareness against smoking in youth. According to the organiser, the Dr. Om Foundation, nearly 19,000  school children participated in poetry, quiz, and art competitions. The competitions were based on the theme of the harmful effects of tobacco and passive smoking.^[5]

Smokers are not selfish

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 2500 individuals quit smoking.
Main initiator	Om Murti Anil
Slogan	A small sacrifice from me, a big gift for my beloved.
Slogan (in Nepali)	मेरो सानो त्याग, मयालुको लागि ठुलो उपहार

According to the STEPS Survey II, which was carried out in 2019 by the Nepal Health Research Council and the government of Nepal,  28.9% of adults (aged 15–69 years) use either smoked or smokeless tobacco products. ^[6] Among them 17.1% are current smokers. The average age for initiation of smoking among those who smoke daily is 17.7 years for men, 18.4 years for females and 17.8 years for both sexes. This survey was conducted with the technical support of the WHO.^[7]

Out of 8 million deaths due to tobacco consumption per year worldwide, 1.3 million are attributed to passive smoking. Children, the elderly, and chronically ill individuals are mainly vulnerable to the ill effects of secondhand smoke.  Among 1.3 billion tobacco users across the world, 80 percent of the burden is in lower-and middle-income countries like Nepal which emphasise  the importance of this campaign. ^[8][9] As per data from the National Health Education, Information and Communication Center, more than 27,000 people die annually due to illnesses related to harmful use of tobacco in Nepal.^[10]

In alignment with Hindu mythology, Vasant Panchami is associated with the worship of Goddess Saraswati and  symbolizes knowledge and wisdom. ^[11] The launch of this campaign on Valentine's Day holds special significance, as it may  encourage  individuals to make meaningful decisions in the form of sacrifice, expressing love to their dear ones by giving up smoking with a purposeful intention.^[12]

"A small sacrifice from me, a big gift for my beloved", was the slogan of the campaign in english .In Nepali language it was translated as  “मेरो सानो त्याग, मयालुको लागि ठुलो उपहार”.^[2]

The slogan carried  an emotional message to encourage  individuals to quit smoking, not only for the well-being of their own health,  but also as an expression of love and sacrifice  toward their family and loved ones.^[1]

On the 14th February 2014, Valentine's Day and Vasant Panchami coincided. The former is taken as a symbol of love and devotion , while the latter is celebrated as the day of worship of goddess Saraswati, symbol of knowledge and intelligence. This day had an unusual coincidence, and this opportunity was used for the purpose of motivation and getting rid of the addiction of smoking.   The message of the slogan was thought to impress the smokers to give away the habit of smoking as a wise decision not only for their health , but also for their family and loved ones.^[3] It also intended to highlight the social and emotional implications of quitting smoking by bringing them to the attention of the general public.^[13]

This campaign was launched on Facebook. The main purpose of choosing digital media was to spread the message to a wider population. Other than Facebook, it also included physical participation and interaction by the participants. The campaign included guidance from a medical team formed by the organiser for the needy ones.

Virtual Launch: The campaign was launched on February 1, 2024, as a Facebook Live session on the page of Dr. Om Murti Anil, which had 1.2 million followers at that time. ^{[14] [15]} In that live session, 6,672 viewers participated. The live session served as the initial trigger for quitting smoking. Subsequently, the news was covered through various online platforms and print media. Information related to the campaign was also made available on the social media accounts and website of the Foundation. ^[1][16]

Commitment via Google Form: Smokers who were interested to participate in this campaign for the purpose of quitting were directed to fill the Google Form made available on the website and other social media platforms of the organizer.^[17] Participants had to fill in their personal details, smoking history and intent to quit smoking. In a two-week period, more than 1,700 expressed their commitment.^{[3] [18]}

Medical Support: Participants who filled out the form were contacted, and personalized advice, along with necessary medical support, was given to support them in the  journey of quitting.^[19]They were also invited to participate in a health screening and interaction program, which was organized on the final day of the campaign at the National Cardiac Centre in Kathmandu.^[19][20]

Free Health Screening: Altogether 200 individuals participated in a health screening event organised on the final day of the campaign. Those who had quit smoking took part in this free medical health check-up.  Blood sugar levels, blood cholesterol levels, ECG, and echocardiography tests were performed for all the participants to detect any heart issues. These tests were performed by the National Cardiac Center Kathmandu as part of the campaign and were done free of cost.^[19]During this medical screening they were clinically evaluated and given proper medical advice as per the tests results. They were also encouraged to remain smoke-free to avoid relapse.^[14] The National Cardiac Centre assured the screening for the remaining participants who came in contact later on and any medical support the participants may need in future.^[19]

Media Activation for Awareness : Information on the ill effects of the use of tobacco was regularly posted on social media to increase awareness against tobacco use. Methods of quitting smoking and dealing with relapse were also included.^[3] The content focusing on motivation for quitting smoking was also shared. Public figures also joined the campaign with their experience and message. Hari Bansha Acharya, a famous actor of Nepal, had also joined and encouraged the people.^[21]

Event on 14th February : A special public event was organised on the final day of the campaign. It included health screening, public interaction, media participation, and certificate distribution to those who quit smoking. Altogether, 200 people attended the event and shared their experiences and commitments as well. ^[17]Dr. Om Murti Anil presented on tobacco use, the harmful effects of smoking, and how to quit smoking. He focused on encouraging the participants and motivating them to prevent relapse. Participants received certificates from the Dr. Om Foundation and complimentary copies of the Jiwanta Sambandha book written by Dr. Anil, as a part of appreciation of their good deed. ^[22][19]

A 35-year-old man from Lalitpur had tried 20 to 25 times  to quit smoking in the past but failed every time. Then he joined  this campaign to quit smoking. He expressed his feelings in the Kathmandu Post, “I feel I would succeed 100 percent this time in quitting smoking and you motivated me to quit cigarettes." He thanked Dr. Om Murti Anil, leader of this campaign, and expressed his desire to meet him when he successfully quits smoking forever.” ^[23]

“Smoking harms the health not only of smokers but also of their family members. An entire family is saved if one quits smoking.” Dr. Om Murti Anil said. He added that he  wanted to challenge people to prove that ‘Smokers are not selfish’.^[23]

In his editorial for Nagarik Daily, Editor-in-Chief Gunaraj Luitel appreciated the novel initiative of the campaign which is based on showing love toward family and making a meaningful sacrifice by quitting smoking. He further mentioned “I want to thank Dr. Anil for coming out of the hospital premises and initiating this campaign to motivate people against smoking for the sake of their loved ones”. He also encouraged  individuals to contribute their part at their level for this noteworthy public initiative.^[24]

Another successful story was reported in The Himalayan Times, where a cardiologist,  Dr. Sagar Thapa shared the journey of one of his patients who overcame a long-term smoking habit after joining the campaign. The banker started to feel improvement in his health after quitting and gradually, he was able to stop taking medicines for hypertension with the guidance of Dr. Thapa. He expressed his gratitude towards the organiser for transforming the life of one of his patients .^[25]

Another example of the impact of this campaign was shared by educator Susmita Shrestha in The Rising Nepal where she described how a school art competition reshaped the future of a beautiful family. One of her students, a seventh-grader,  drew an image about the effects of secondhand smoking, which  deeply moved her father, who was a chronic heavy smoker. The father was deeply impressed by  its message and soon was able to overcome long term weakness. He successfully quit smoking. ^[26]

Similarly, in The Himalayan Times, Simone Galimberti writes, “There have been some recent positive developments like the 'Smokers Are Not Selfish' campaign, organized by the Dr. Om Foundation”. He emphasised the importance of such awareness initiatives in  playing a significant role in curbing smoking among youths, particularly when schools are actively involved. Galimberti further added that, along with such campaigns, support from  local governing bodies like municipalities and other institutions is crucial in developing  strong and sustainable models for reducing tobacco use. ^[27]

The school children were involved in quiz, poetry, and art competitions organised by the Dr. Om Foundation. Competitions were organised on the use of tobacco  and its ill effects on health. ^[28] To strengthen tobacco awareness among youth, this nationwide school health  program was organised  as a  part of the campaign. With this initiative, it was  thought that such involvement may prevent school going children  from getting involved in the harmful use of tobacco products.^[29][30] Approximately 19,000 students across schools of all seven provinces in the country participated in these competitions.^[31][5]

The quiz competition was organised for the  students up to grade 12 from schools across Nepal. One team made of three students from one school took part in this quiz contest.  They had to answer questions related to smoking, passive smoking, and health education.^[32]The quiz aimed to improve knowledge among students  about the harmful effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke. ^[21] The quiz was conducted on a virtual platform (Zoom).^[21] Fourteen teams from seven provinces qualified for the final. The winner of the quiz, first runner-up, and second runner up received a cash prize of 50,000 , 30,000 and 20,000 respectively.^[33] This quiz was streamed live on the Facebook page of Dr. Om Murti Anil.^[21][34]

Students up to  grade 12 were invited to submit poems focusing on the harmful effects of smoking and the importance of quitting.^[29] They were encouraged to cover health , social and emotional  aspects of tobacco related problems. The poem had to be submitted in written form through the official email.^[35] A cash prize of 10,000 was given to the five winners.^[33]

The art competition was organised for students up to grade eight.  Students were instructed  to submit drawings  illustrating different effects of smoking on individuals, families, and society.^[26] ( 40 ) . The aim of art competition was to encourage school children to participate not only to show their talent but also to improve their knowledge and understanding of the  harmful effects of secondhand smoke.^[36] The artworks had to be submitted through the official email. Two winners and six runners up were given cash prizes of 10,000 and 2,500 respectively.^[37]

A total of 17 students were selected and awarded across all three categories. An award ceremony was held in Kathmandu to honor all the winners from the quiz, poetry, and art competitions.^[21] Mr. Suresh Adhikari, Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, served as the chief guest of the program from the Government of Nepal. “Smoking not only affects human health but also causes family stress and financial loss, so it is necessary to avoid,” he said.^[33] He emphasised the importance of involving school children in the anti-tobacco campaign.^[38]

Dr. Om Murti Anil, expressed the purpose of the school health program that included quiz, poetry, and art competition. He highlighted the aims and objectives of the campaign and various activities conducted for raising awareness against tobacco use by the Dr. Om Foundation. and addressed the winners, their family members and teachers who attended the event.^[38]( 61 ) Cash prizes, certificates, and medals were distributed as tokens of appreciation for the students’ creativity, effort, and dedication to spreading awareness. ^[33][38]