SKIMS Soura pledges societal change program against smoking
Srinagar, May 31: On World Tobacco Day, experts from a variety of fields gathered at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences today to explore how J&K can be brought out of the crutches of smoking and saved from lifelong diseases that it leads to. Among the prominent people who spoke on the occasion were former Chief Justice J&K and Ladakh High Court and
Giving a detailed insight in tobacco use prevalence in J&K, former Chief Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said the right to live in a clean, healthy, and tobacco-free environment was a part of Constitutional guarantee under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the Right to Life and Personal Liberty. He said when doctors, educators, police officers, legal professionals, and civil society come together with shared purpose, real change becomes possible. As part of his suggestions for a tobacco free society in J&K, he said, it was necessary to strengthen awareness and education at the grassroots levels.
“We must ensure strict and uniform enforcement of existing laws, prohibition of smoking in public places, restriction on advertisements, and the ban on sale of tobacco products near educational institutions must be enforced with seriousness and without exception,” he said.
He underscored the need for fostering community-driven de-addiction efforts. “We must shift the narrative from punishment to support. People addicted to tobacco need empathy, guidance, and accessible rehabilitation services. I believe the judiciary, too, has a constructive role to play, not only by interpreting and applying the law, but by actively promoting the cause of public health through judicial pronouncements, public interest litigation, and support for administrative reforms,” Magrey said.
Elaborating he said “our children must be taught not only the health hazards of tobacco but also the legal and ethical aspects of its use. Early education can act as the first line of defense.” At the same time, he said, it was mandatory to prohibit smoking in public places, restriction on advertisements, and ban the sale of tobacco products near educational institutions must be enforced with seriousness and without exception. “People addicted to tobacco need empathy, guidance, and accessible rehabilitation services. Every home, school, mosque, temple, and neighbourhood should become a space for dialogue and healing,” he said.
Magrey said the theme of the event Multi-sectoral Strategies for Tobacco Control is not only timely, but critically important.
“Tobacco consumption continues to be one of the leading causes of preventable disease and premature death across the world. Unfortunately, our own Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is not untouched by this crisis. Tobacco addiction is not just a health issue, it is also a social, legal, and economic problem. It directly affects families, workplaces, public institutions, and even the very fabric of our society,” he said.
The former Chief Justice said the long-term consequences of tobacco use burden not only the healthcare system, but also erode human productivity, weaken family structures, and contribute to intergenerational cycles of harm.
“It is not only a medical responsibility but also a legal obligation to work towards eliminating the dangers posed by tobacco. India has enacted robust legal frameworks and these laws provide a strong foundation for regulation, but as many of you will agree, implementation and enforcement remain key challenges. Law without execution is like a body without a soul,” Magrey addedsa.
Director SKIMS Soura and ex-officio secretary to Government, Prof M Ashraf Ganai.
Prof Ganai said it was the responsibility of SKIMS Soura to not only treat diseases but also prevent them. He said SKIMS Soura was proactively engaged in addressing social evils, bringing about positive behavioral change and addressing addictions that cause health issues. He said that the event that was organized to commemorate the World Tobacco Day saw the entire SKIMS Soura staff pledge to prevent smoking proactively and even support penalizing it if necessary. “We will go to schools and colleges to bring about a change and design and implement a composite program that includes holistic lifestyle changes that our society needs to get healthier and happier,” he said. He also stated that the Institute will collate and compile data about smoking-related deaths to bring home the message.
Principal SKIMS Medical College, Prof Fazlul Qadir Parray expressed concern over the growing prevalence of tobacco use among women and adolescents. He said stronger policies and implementation was the need of the hour. Urging hospitals to be smoking free in leterb and spirit, he said, smoke detectors must be installed to ensure compliance.
Additional Commissioner Kashmir and Guest of Honour Akramullah Tak, also addressed the gathering, stressing the urgent need for collective action to curb tobacco use and its devastating health impacts.
The program featured a series of scientific and interactive sessions, including “Tobacco Prevention and Control – Challenges Posed by the Tobacco Industry” by Prof. Rahul Jabeen Shah, Community Medicine; “Tobacco-Induced Lung Cancer: A Clinical Overview” by Dr. Nazia Mahfooz, Assistant Professor, Respiratory Medicine; “Tobacco and Cancers” by Dr. Ulfat Ara Wani, Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology and “Tobacco Use: A Civil Society Perspective” by Prof. Abdur Rahman War, Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Srinagar.
