Under the supervision of Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy, president of Assiut University, the Faculty of Pharmacy organized a health and educational day entitled "Smoking and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases such as Diabetes, anemia and obesity", in conjunction with the World No Smoking Day, in cooperation with the community service and environmental development sector of the faculties of Pharmacy and medicine, in partnership with the youth health center of the Department of public health of the Faculty of Medicine, in the presence of Dr. Mahmoud Abdel Alim, vice-president of the University for community service and environmental development, under the supervision of Dr. Alaa Attiyah, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Jehan Nabil Fateh, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy.

   The event was organized by Dr. Mohammed Abdul Latif, vice dean of the College of pharmacy for community service and environmental development, and Dr. Huda Makhlouf, vice dean of the College of medicine for community service and environmental development.

  Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy stressed that the organization of this event reflects the University's keenness to perform its awareness-raising and preventive mission, and active participation in health initiatives aimed at enhancing awareness of the dangers of smoking and its close relationship with the spread of chronic diseases, pointing out that the university is working to integrate health culture within its educational environment and encourage students to follow healthy lifestyles, which contributes to preparing a conscious and qualified generation to participate effectively in community development.

The event was attended by Dr. Hassan Refaat, vice dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Dina Fathallah, vice dean for graduate studies and research affairs, as well as several faculty members and their assistants, college staff, and several Pharmacists of University Hospitals.

Dr. Mahmoud Abdel Alim inspected part of the awareness campaign activities held at the College, which included providing blood pressure, sugar, and body mass measurement services to participants, stressing the importance of continuing to organize such events because of their vital role in raising awareness of the importance of quitting smoking, and contributing to global efforts aimed at reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, of which smoking is one of the most prominent causes.

The seminar also included a scientific seminar attended by Dr. Medhat al-Arabi, professor of therapeutic nutrition and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Mahmoud Attiya, full professor at the Department of Public Health. The seminar dealt with the multiple dangers of smoking, including increasing the likelihood of diabetes, contributing to obesity as a result of reducing the rate of calorie burning and increasing appetite, in addition to its negative impact on the production of red blood cells leading to anemia, as well as the general damage it causes to all body systems, with the introduction of effective methods that help individuals quit smoking.