By: Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Different organizations working on tobacco free society launched ‘Tobacco Free Youth Postcard Campaign’ in Islamabad, the campaign, with an aim to aware youth of hazardous effects of tobacco, will be active for a month and will be backed by social media influencers.
First of its kind Postcard Campaign is launched under the banner of CTFK, Chromatic, SPARC and PANAH.
Shariq Mahmood Khan, Project Director Chromatic explained how one-month-long campaign will entertain unlimited digitally (and physically) designed postcards and the announcement of winners and their prizes. The postcards thus finalized will be sent to the Prime Minister Imran Khan requesting for a visible increase in tobacco tax in the upcoming budget to save our youth.
Country Head CTFK, Imran Ahmed Malik urged the government to increase tax on tobacco products to discourage its use among youth and children. He further said following the model of New Zealand where government has banned sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2004, Pakistan should also do the same to save our future generations.
Ch. Sana Ullah Ghumman, Secretary General Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) said that it was a good initiative to engage youth to save youth. Our kids are our future and we won’t let anyone to mess with it.
Program Manager SPARC Khalil Ahmed Dogar showed his concern how deeply and badly our kids are being dragged into this situation. He requested the media to come forward and save our future.
At the end Imran Ali Dina formally launched the “Tobacco Free Youth Postcard Launch Campaign” via a video link. He will also post a video to his 1.7 million followers’ channel. Being a GFX Mentor himself, he knows both, the importance of campaign and how to engage the youth.
An email and postal address were added to the launch video for the participant youth to send their designs. The designs will be shortlisted and competent judges will then finalize the names of three winners.