No Tobacco Week celebrated at FJDC for a healthier, tobacco-free future

KARACHI: In connection with the global observance of World No Tobacco Day 2025, the department of community dentistry at Fatima Jinnah Dental College (FJDC), Karachi organized a five-day health awareness initiative titled No Tobacco Week. The campaign reflected FJDC’s active commitment to oral health education, tobacco control, and community engagement.

The initiative blended academic learning with real-world impact, encouraging dental students to serve as public health advocates in their local community.

Empowering students through education

The campaign began with focused academic sessions designed to equip students with the tools to combat tobacco use through education and counseling.

On day one, second-year BDS students attended an interactive session on tobacco cessation counseling, learning evidence-based strategies to guide patients in quitting tobacco.

On day two, students explored the epidemiology, etiology, and prevention of oral cancer, with a strong emphasis on its links to tobacco use in Pakistan.

Bridging learning with action: community outreach

FJDC turned theory into practice on days three and four, as students and faculty visited government boys secondary school Hajirabad to conduct oral health screenings and provide tobacco cessation counseling.

Screenings focused on detecting tobacco-induced oral lesions, with early diagnosis as a key preventive strategy.

Second-year students provided on-site guidance, gaining practical experience while helping raise awareness among school-aged youth—a demographic particularly vulnerable to tobacco initiation.

Community awareness walk: voices against tobacco

The campaign concluded with a high-energy awareness walk on day five, where first- and second-year students, joined by faculty and local school participants, marched from the FJDC pre-clinical campus through surrounding neighborhoods.

students carried placards with anti-tobacco messages, engaging directly with community members and encouraging open dialogue about the harms of tobacco. the presence of schoolchildren reinforced the importance of early preventive education and community solidarity.

Leadership reflections, long-term impact

Faculty members emphasized the need to mobilize young health professionals in public awareness efforts. they noted that off-campus activities enhance both student learning and social responsibility.

“When future dentists take part in these activities, they become better communicators, educators, and health leaders,” a faculty spokesperson noted.

The No Tobacco Week campaign served as both a learning experience and a powerful public health intervention, aligning FJDC’s mission with global efforts to fight tobacco-related diseases, particularly oral cancer, one of Pakistan’s leading health concerns.