Dubai: A five-year-old schoolboy has taken upon himself the task of making smokers aware of the health benefits of quitting.
Satvik Vashisht, a KGII student of Indian High School Dubai, can be spotted going about his mission with a clutch of pamphlets at malls and other public places.
"It is very bad," he says when asked why he wants people to stop smoking. He elicits a range of emotions from those he approaches.
"I was happily puffing away when this little child approached me. I read what was written on the pamphlet and felt really guilty. I suddenly realised how much harm I am causing not only to myself but also to others around me who are forced to inhale the smoke. I will try to quit now," said Alex, a resident handed a pamphlet.
The paper he distributes encourages people to quit by saying that it may be difficult to stop smoking but "it does start to get better after just a few days", reminding them of the benefits instead of the health hazards.
"He was very curious to know why people around him smoked which is when we thought it was important to tell him about the harm that smoking can cause," recalls Sandeep Vashisht, his father.
