As part of an Non-smoking campaign led by the Iraqi Hypertension Society IqHS, the Society, in cooperation with the Deanship of the University College of Madeenat Alilim, held a scientific symposium on the dangers of smoking and ways to prevent it in one of the college halls on Monday, December 4, 2023. It was attended by a group of college students and professors, in addition to the college dean. Dr. Ghazi Al-Hajji, President of the IqHS, as well as Dr. Samir Majeed, a Board Member, gave two lectures in this field in which they reviewed the history of smoking, its harmful effects on health, means of controlling it, and the applicable laws issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
This scientific meeting resulted in several directives and decisions that serve to reduce smoking, including:
1.Adopting the idea of ​​making the university campus smoke-free by college students and professors as well as carrying out an awareness campaign within the college that includes setting up exhibitions and posters and setting up booths in this field that show awareness-raising films.
2. Spreading the culture of combating smoking through students special groups on social media.
3. Holding an annual party and making Smoking Abstinence Day an occasion in which the college celebrates.
4. Filling out an electronic questionnaire to find out the extent of smoking among college students and conducting research related to it.
Professor Ghazi also promised to provide a carbon monoxide gas analyzer (CO) analyzer for use in conducting screening tests for smoking students.
A painting exhibition was held on the sidelines of the conference about the scourge of smoking by one of the college’s professors. It is worth noting that the Iraqi Society for Hypertension held a similar activity at the College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, about two weeks ago.