On May 31, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) led a parade in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in celebration of World No Tobacco Day.

Nearly 1,000 people participated in the demonstration, carrying signs and banners that promoted World No Tobacco Day and ADRA’s stop smoking campaign, the Tobacco or Health program. They also took part in a ceremony declaring the National Military Hospital (also known as Preah Ket Mealea Hospital) a “smoke-free zone.”

“The parade was aimed at raising awareness of the harmfulness of tobacco and the role that health professionals have in being examples of a smoke-free healthy lifestyle,” said Ann Stickle, associate director for ADRA in Cambodia.

The one-mile parade lasted one hour and extended from the National University of Management to the National Military Hospital. It was attended by medical professionals and government personnel and received extensive media coverage.

“It is important that health professionals understand the importance of their role as models of preventative health,” stated Mark Schwisow, ADRA director in Cambodia. “When health professionals who are trained in what is harmful obey the laws of health, they will be effective examples for others to follow.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use is responsible for approximately 5 million deaths a year worldwide. ADRA has been actively working to educate Cambodians about the dangers of tobacco use since 1996.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.