A meeting was held to examine the potential for cooperation between the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association (IATA) and the Office of the Representation of the Supreme Leader in the Universities. This meeting was participated by Hujjat al-Islam Sadatinejad, the head of the offices of the representation of the Supreme Leader in the universities of Tehran province, Hujjat al-Islam Rahrnani, the deputy of this institution, Mohammad Reza Masjedi, IATA’s Secretary-General, Hujjat al-Islam Ali Reza Robatian, the director of the Seminary Liaison Unit in IATA, and other officials of this non-governmental organization.
According to IATA’s Public Relations, Hujjat al-Islam Sadatinejad, while appreciating and thanking the activities of this non-governmental organization, said, “The effective role of universities in the community is undeniable and will definitely appear in the society if good measures are taken in universities.”
“One of the biggest problems in communicating with university students is the lack of knowledge of modem and appropriate ways to communicate with them, as well as a lack of attention to generational differences,” said Sadatinejad. “The psychology of dealing with this generation is very important, especially in the fight against tobacco, and it has not been well considered. Therefore, these methods should be changed and experts should be used with creative and up-to-date views and methods.”
According to Hujjat al-Islam Sadatinejad, “Tehran. province has about 40 universities and Tehran city has 13 important universities. Also, there are now roughly 700,000 university students in Tehran, and if we can make a positive impact on them, it can be introduced as an influential model to other universities throughout the country.”
Referring to Joint-Thinking Offices in universities, he added that interaction with university professors is one of the most significant measures in this regard. “With the cooperation of professors and their synergy, as well as by changing old methods and benefiting from new methods, the best strategy can be selected and used to influence the young community”, he said.
The head of the offices of the representation of the Supreme Leader in the universities of Tehran province emphasized, “This institution is ready to cooperate entirely with IATA both in the field of interaction with the clergy and in other sectors, in order to strengthen the impact On the health of the society and the fight against tobacco!’
The rising trend in tobacco smoking in universities
In the continuation of the meeting, IATA’s Secretary-General referred to the situation of tobacco consumption and the costs of treatment of related diseases that are borne by the health sector of the society and said, “Political, economic, cultural, and social problems should be considered along with the health sector. But the prevalence of smoking, especially hookah, is increasing among students, and serious decisions must be made in this regard!’
Emphasizing the social role of university students, Mohammad Reza Masjedi continued, “Interaction with the Office of the Representation of the Supreme Leader in the Universities can provide a great opportunity to address the problem of smoking among students. In this regard, effective steps can be taken by information-dissemination as well as paying attention to the social roles of universities, students, and professors.”
