CPAA: Events include Anti Tobacco Campaign & Anti Gutkha Campaign CPAA: Events include Anti Tobacco Campaign & Anti Gutkha Campaign
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Events

Over the years we have put together & organised several events. The main focus behind these events have always been to raise funds for cancer treatment, awareness & education about cancer & entertainment & relaxation for the patients.

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Annual Events Special Events

 World No Tobacco Day

Since 1988 31st May has been observed annually as the World No Tobacco Day and is the only global event established to call attention to tobacco use on public health and reduce individual tobacco-dependence. 

There is a strong social and cultural influence that entices young people into becoming smokers. Tobacco manufacturers make liberal use of lifestyle advertising, sports sponsorship and popular role models to convey the message that smoking is ‘cool’. In spite of the clear, unambiguous evidence accumulated on the damage that tobacco causes, a large proportion of policy makers are still unconvinced about the need to control tobacco advertising.

The developed countries have been cracking down on tobacco companies and have been passing increasingly strict legislation on what they can do, both by way of product formulation and by way of advertising. Laws are coming into force to block tobacco advertising. In 1997, the European Parliament approved a Directive banning all forms of tobacco publicity, promotion and event sponsorship. The Directive set a timetable for elimination of advertising and sponsorship, with a special provision for international sporting events currently funded by the tobacco industry. These must be phased out by 2006. Sale of cigarettes to those below 18 is already prohibited in most developed countries. As they see their markets in the west shrink, major tobacco companies are now setting their sights on developing countries, where legislation is not as stringent. In general, advertising control is extremely lax. Only a voluntary code to regulate advertising by the tobacco industry has come through so far. Coming into effect from October 1st, 1998, it attempts to ban public personalities from endorsing tobacco products and disallows ads that attribute a better life to the intake of tobacco. The code also seeks to clamp down on surrogate ads, like cricket gear. Unfortunately, the code has proved ineffective, as the organisation that drafted it, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), is a self regulatory body with no powers to enforce the code by punishing offenders.

In spite of protests by health activists, hoardings have become larger and larger, while statutory warnings remain their original size and are painted in the same colour as the background, which make them almost invisible. In the West, tobacco is consumed largely in the form of cigarettes, cigars and pipes. In India, however, there are a number of additional forms in which tobacco is consumed, for example, gutkha, pan masala, masheri, snuff and tobacco toothpaste. Still, some headway is being made. This year, the Kerala High Court banned smoking in all public places in the state and directed the district administration to enforce the order with immediate effect. In a major breakthrough, tobacco ads have been banned in all public places in Delhi. In 1990, the Indian government issued an executive order prohibiting smoking in all health care establishments, government offices, educational institutions, air-conditioned railway cars, chair cars, buses and domestic passenger flights. Indian Airlines has also banned smoking on its international flights to UK, Europe and America. Recently, in some states smoking within 100 metres of educational institutions has been prohibited. However enforcement of these laws leaves much to be desired. There is clearly a need for health information, which can lead to ant-tobacco social norms and attitudes, anti-tobacco policies and non-smoking among a higher proportion of the public. 

CPAA is working towards this end in a number of ways. World No-Tobacco Day is commemorated every year in the form of lectures, camps and rallies all over the country. 

Statistics show that every year 8,00,000 new cancer cases are registered - 3,20,000 of which are suffering from Head and Neck cancers largely attributed to tobacco habits. While, tobacco claims about 4.9 million deaths annually globally, an alarming 1 million of them are from India. Every year on this day we try to create awareness about this emerging epidemic by highlighting the ill-effects of tobacco consumption via hoardings, banners, posters, advertisements and various other programs along-with raising funds for the already affected cancer patients and their families. Year after year the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have supported our programs to fight the battle against tobacco and the emerging epidemic…cancer. In conjunction with the various programs, we also organise free ENT - Cancer screening camp all over the city at various sites for the general public.

From recent reports it is evident that the programmes need to cater to a new group, children and young adults. There is a frightening increase in tobacco consumption trends in this age group and relentless targeting of these youngsters by tobacco companies and advertising agencies has resulted in their being duped into making uninformed choices. Young adults have been reached with the help of the National Social Service (NSS) Programme Officers Training Project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Programmes are held at colleges all over Mumbai. Regular awareness and screening programmes are also being held for street children and children of commercial sex workers. Our Early Detection and Awareness lectures regularly cover the dangers associated with tobacco abuse. We reach out to smokeless tobacco users via the Anti-Gutkha Campaign. In a major initiative, a number of schools are being visited during the current academic year to talk about tobacco abuse in general and gutkha abuse in particular. 

World No Tobacco Day Report
Year : 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | Event archive

Would you like to make a contribution towards CPAA’s World No Tobacco Day  activities? 
Organise an Awareness Lecture / Camp
  | Donate for World No Tobacco Day

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Rose Day

Rose DayRose Day, held on September 22nd every year, is our way of showing cancer patients that we care.

In 1994, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first attempt at cancer patient support made by, we decided to reach out with a meaningful gesture to each and every cancer patient in Mumbai. We also wanted to use the occasion to motivate participation on a large scale and involve the general public in our cause of raising cancer awareness. This gesture took the form of a greeting to all patients in every hospital, clinic, hospice and treatment centre with a rose to convey a message of love and empathy. The idea caught on, and Rose Day became an annual event. Today the entire city joins in enthusiastically in the exercise to distribute this floral tribute. Rose coupons are sold at various outlets and the response is always overwhelming. From cine celebrities to mill workers to school students, people from all walks of life visit patients in 33 hospitals, distributing gifts & roses.

Every year the funds collected are earmarked for a specific pending project at one of the hospitals treating cancer patients. Thus, the funds have paid for a much needed water purifier, TV, VCR and cassettes, at the Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children; an aquarium at Tata Memorial Hospital; a second kitchen for the Ernest Borges Home in Bandra, Mumbai; and cotton and gauze at Shanti Avedna Ashram, a hospice.

A number of programmes are held throughout the day to spread cheer and happiness.

Rose Day Report
Year: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
Event archive

Would you like to make a contribution towards CPAA’s Rose Day activities? 
Send your donation (cheque/DD)  |  Donate Online (credit card)

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Ghazal Khazana

Year after year Cancer Patients Aid Association along-with the Parents Association Thallasemic Unit Trust(PATUT) spear-headed by noted ghazal singer Mr. Pankaj Udhas has got together the country's finest ghazal singers to present "Ghazal Khazana". Ghazal Khazana is truly a treasure of talent where a wide spectrum of artistes like Nina and Rajinder Mehta, Mitalee and Bhupinder Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain, Talat Aziz, Penaz Masani, Anup Jalota etc. perform at this 2-day concert for the cause of cancer patients and thalasemic children. Various donors, well-wishers & our patrons contribute towards the success of this event held at the Oberoi (Hilton) Towers, Mumbai.

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Fun Day

The fight against cancer is arduous, painful and depressing. Time and again our social workers attempt to bring some cheer into patients’ lives by arranging picnics, field trips, Christmas parties, Diwali Melas, New Year parties, concerts....in short a FUN DAY for the patients.

Picnics to Fantasy Land, an entertainment park in Jogeshwari, Mumbai, A concert by actor & singer, Sachin & his troupe, rounded off an action-packed day, a new year party at the office premise are some of the examples of these events. The patients and their family members are picked up at various convenient locations around Mumbai and transported to venue for a day full of fun and games. Donors, patrons & well-wishers always come forward & contribute in every way they can by providing for the transportation, food, entertainment & gifts.

Would you like to contribute to the next Fun Day to be held ? Click here.

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Colours of Life - Art Exhibition 
Give a child crayons and paper and they will create a multicolored flower or sunrise or rainbow using every last colour available in the box. But not children with leukemia. Time after time, during the play group CPAA runs for children suffering from cancer, when we put a paint brush in their hands, they choose the browns, the greys and the blacks reflecting the atmosphere, the tension, the pain they and their family go through. Their situation is doubly tragic because they often suffer from conditions which could be treated and cured....if only they received proper treatment. Treatment which unfortunately, is expensive and prolonged.

We have come across many children who fought their disease with courage and cheer and who proved to be an inspiration for us rather than the other way around. They were the premier motivational factor behind the fund raising art exhibition, "Colours of Life".This Annual Art Exhibition was held for the first time in 2005 and we were able to reach out and support the treatment of 194 children suffering from cancer as against the previous average number of 98. In the next year we received the works of over  73 Artists from 5 nations (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & South Africa) and were able to aid the treatment of  over 200 children. In 2007 we received and over-whelming participation  from over 100 senior Indian artists.

Colours of Life Report
Year : 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009

Click here to participate or find out more about the Exhibition of 2010 ?