Meet Raghunandan, who is on a mission to help people quit smoking

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, he is urging people to stop using tobacco products and lead a healthy lifestyle

Hyderabad: For more than two decades, Maachana Raghunandan, an Enforcement Deputy Tahsildar with Civil Supplies Department, has been busy raising awareness among people on health issues and other concerns associated with smoking.

He covered 5,000 km across 500 villages on his two-wheeler in a span of five years to spread awareness with slogans like – Say No To Tobacco, Quit Tobacco, and Smoking Kills You.

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“One of my friends passed away because of usage of tobacco. He was only 36. After his death, I took a pledge to help people in quitting smoking and tobacco by raising awareness through campaigns,” says Raghunandan.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, he is urging people to stop using tobacco products and lead a healthy lifestyle. “Smoking almost affects every part of the body and causes many other diseases, including cancer and death. It will also have a great impact on the financial status of families and households,” he says.

The 46-year-old garnered accolades for his efforts in helping smokers quit smoking. He takes time off his busy schedule to bring awareness among people about the health hazards that come with smoking. “I engage myself in awareness campaigning after my office hours and during my free time. I spend a minimum of 2 hours a day to identify smokers and educate them,” he says.

“Money spent on smoking can instead be used to buy quality food, purchase necessary household items, or pay children’s school fees. So I urge people to quit smoking and improve their family’s quality of life,” urges Raghunandan.