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In conjunction with the annual World No Tobacco Day ADRA worked with the Pursat Provincial Education, Youth and Sports, Health and the Cult and Religion Departments to celebrate a food offering ceremony to 400 Buddhist Monks. These monks came from pagodas in the entire province on 22 May 2005 to honor 5 million who died of smoking every year including Cambodians.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco causes the premature death of half of its regular users while the other half is living with diseases. The World No Tobacco Day is celebrated worldwide every year in order to remind the public that smoking and using other tobacco products is dangerous to smokers’ health and non smokers’ as well through passive inhalation.
The ceremony in Pursat was held under the chairman of Preah Pothivongsa Vimol Ouk Chum, provincial chief of the Buddhist Monks, His Excellency Oak Mony, Second Deputy Provincial Governor, and some representatives from WHO and the above offices. The day’s ceremonies were very crowded with community people coming with food and rice to offer to Buddhist Monks.
Through the present technological conveniences and other media outreach such as TV, Radio, telecommunication and newspapers, Cambodian people become aware of tobacco dangers and choose a healthy life. ADRA staffs have observed that people have gradually changed their old habits in ways as follows:
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In wedding celebrations, guests of the groom and bride are no longer offered cigarettes.
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There have been fewer cigarettes offered as gifts parents and monks.
- Many work places and public places have been declared smoke free.
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