On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the Health Department and the Costa del Sol Health District organised a smoke-free walk from the San Valentín square in Las Lagunas, led by a group of students from the municipality. The aim of this activity was none other than to prevent the consumption of conventional and electronic cigarettes, especially among young people. "In Spain, 63,000 people die each year from lung cancer, that is, one every ten minutes", warned Lola Sanchis, president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), who also collaborated in the initiative. She added, "more than 50 percent of young people in Spain between the ages of 14 and 18 say they have used conventional tobacco or currently use it, as well as electronic cigarettes, so I think these are figures that should concern us and we should all work together on prevention".
That is exactly what the Health Department is doing, promoting campaigns to raise awareness among young people of the risks associated with the consumption of tobacco. One of the initiatives organised this year was an antivape poster competition, in which 64 students participated.
As the councillor for health, Marco Cortés, explained, "we have to eliminate the belief that smoking makes you more important or makes you feel more adult, in fact, smoking is not a thing anymore, it is something from the past. That's why we have to applaud this type of walks and we must continue to develop them from the Town Hall", said Cortés.
Educational centres, such as IES Las Lagunas, also worked over the last week on the effects that electronic cigarettes have on our bodies. A new product, but the same risk. One of the teachers from IES Las Lagunas, Maria Tudela, explained that "electronic cigarettes are very tempting for young people, they are easier to buy than regular tobacco, and they also offer different flavours, which makes changing young people's attitudes very difficult".
In addition, to quit smoking when you are used to it is also very difficult, warns the Costa del Sol Health District. The nurse Miguel Gallardo informed about the specialised anti-smoking unit that exists in the Las Lagunas Health Centre, to which "anyone can go to by making an appointment with their family doctor, who will refer them to this unit". He also mentioned the "good results achieved".
During the walk, the group visited two schools in Fuengirola and another one in Las Lagunas, stopping also at two pharmacies, which offered co-oximetry tests to check the C02 blood level of some of the participants. The walk ended at the Cortijo Don Elías, where several information tables were set up by the Red Cross, the Spanish Cancer Association and the International Fida Association. Again, they stressed the harm caused by smoking, including the addiction and the economic cost.
To round off the day, the students took part in a fun zumba session, a healthy and effective way to say goodbye to tobacco.
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