Media Release

Udupi, Feb 5: For the first time, private practitioners of Indian Dental Association (IDA), Udupi unit, displayed a street play to create awareness on mouth cancer on Monday, February 4 at premises of Brahmavar bus stand.

The awareness programme was organised as part of World Cancer Day.

In the street play, practitioners depicted the effects of tobacco consumption, addiction, cigarettes and using tobacco content products. The association concentrated more on migrated people, who come from north Karnataka.

Another interested point was that, few people threw tobacco packets at the spot and promised that they will stop consuming tobacco after this.

The main motto of the association is 'Smile more - smile better'. It is more on focusing to reach the unreached areas. It has conducted 15 different awareness campaigns in one month which started from January 1 to February 14.

IDA Udupi unit is celebrating 14 years anniversary this year. On Monday, it was a major awareness programme organised by them to educate ill health of tobacco consumption.

Dr Manoj Brahmavar, president, Dr Fayaz, Dr Sudheer, treasurer of the IDA, Udupi branch, and practitioners from Karkala, Kundapur, Shirva namely Dr Manjunath Mesta, Dr Fouziya, Dr Sayyed Mustafa, Dr Sathish Shetty, Dr Muralidhar, Dr Pramod Shetty, Dr Prasanna, Dr Seema Herle, Dr Jagadeesh, Dr Gururaj, Dr Deepa, Dr Jasmine and Dr
Shashikala participated in the street play which was watched by close to 150 people.

The IDA Udupi branch has also conducted campaigns at special children schools, orphanage homes and for pregnant women mainly on oral hygiene. All these campaigns were free of cost. They educated the members of Samruddhi Mahila Mandala, Cherkady, PHC Pethri, Dairy Association and so on.

The association is planing to conduct more such awareness programmes in days to come.