By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A two-week long Anti-Tobacco Campaign-cum-Extension Programme organised by the Department of Value Education, St. Anthony’s College concluded recently.
The campaign conducted across 13 schools, five colleges and three hostels in the city dwelt on the harmful effects of scores of edible items etc., consumed by people.
Associate Professor of St. Thomas College, Trichur, Kerala, Dr CD Varghese, who was the resource person during the campaign has been conducting a series of cancer awareness programmes across the country and in different parts of the world.
In his lectures, Dr Varghese expressed his concern at the rising rate of people afflicted with throat and lung cancer in Meghalaya.
While speaking on the subject, he urged the students not to consume anything that has been fried with recycled or reused oil stating that this is one of the main causes of stomach cancer. He informed that the tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemical compounds.
“More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer,” he said, adding an estimated 35,000 deaths from heart disease in people are seen in cases of people who live with smokers but are themselves not current smokers.
