Social worker fighting against tobacco abuse since 2 decades

Bhubaneswar: Social worker Mohammad Imran Ali, 39, spent nearly two decades working on prevention of substance abuse, de-addiction awareness, anti-tobacco campaigns and counselling, with focus on community-based outreach in the city and the state.Imran, a native of Quazi Sahi in Bhadrak, started an anti-tobacco campaign in the city while he was pursuing PG in social work in 2006. “I found adolescents in slum areas consuming tobacco and nicotine products. I started creating awareness among the people, including adolescents,” he added.Holding a PhD in social work, Imran led anti-tobacco and anti-drug campaigns through community meetings and programmes in schools, colleges and institutions, reaching thousands of people.“When I knew that consuming tobacco products caused cancer, I took the anti-tobacco campaign seriously. In 2012, we filed a petition in the Orissa high court urging a ban on tobacco products in the state. The state govt banned the manufacturing and sale of tobacco and nicotine products in 2013,” he added.Imran said the ban did not work. “Now govt has banned all chewable products containing tobacco and nicotine. This is a good step but needs proper implementation of the ban. I will continue creating awareness until people stop consuming tobacco and nicotine products,” he added.He produced awareness material in accessible formats, including booklets on tobacco and drug abuse with a Braille edition for visually-impaired readers, and sign language videos for the hearing impaired. His community radio series on tobacco-free childhood was featured in the Limca Book of Records.Imran is co-founder of ‘Salaam Jeevan’, which provides counselling and support services for people dealing with substance dependence. He is invited for capacity-building programmes on substance-abuse prevention. He also conducts training for youth groups linked to NSS, Red Cross, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and MY BHARAT, and serves as a resource person at the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy on prevention of substance abuse.His initiatives includes ‘Mission Answer to Cancer’ and ‘Nisha Mukta Shaishaba’, aimed at highlighting the long-term health and social impact of addiction, particularly among children and adolescents. Known for participatory outreach, he uses songs, storytelling and group activities in his sessions and travels to villages on a motorcycle as part of his fieldwork.Imran received several honours from Odisha govt, including the state-level NSS award, State Youth Award and Nagar Bandhu Samman, and was recognised by more than 40 civil society organisations for his work in addiction prevention and social service.