International students took part in the action “Your life is in your hands”

Given the high importance to the informational campaigns on the alcohol and tobacco abuse, and drug consumption prevention, specialists of the Republican Medical Prevention Center along with the Dean’s office for foreign students of BSMU held a series of preventive measures events "Your life is in your hands" for international students on 16-20 May. The organizers of the event in an accessible form told the students of 1-2 courses about the mental, physical and social consequences of the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco products.

The main part of the event consisted of three units, reflecting the issues of drug addiction prevention, alcoholism and tobacco smoking. It was aimed at the formation of a culture of healthy lifestyle among international students.

In the first unit, the major senior operative of the Drug Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Bashkortostan, Regina Kireeva, spoke about the legal framework and the current legislation in the field of drug abuse. In the second block, the instructor of hygiene education of the Republican Medical Prevention Center, Galina Salakhova, held a conversation about the medical, social and psychological consequences of alcoholism with a demonstration of a video about the consequences of alcohol abuse in English. In the third block of the event the psychologist of the Republican Medical Prevention Center, Elina Safina, spoke about the problem of smoking and engaged the audience in the interactive game "Social projecting". The participants were divided into 5 groups to prepare presentations of projects on tobacco prevention in the following topics: "For future mothers", "For the street environment and clubs", "The consequences of smoking in the house", "For teenagers", "The harm of smoking for kindergartens", followed by presenting the projects. Students with particular enthusiasm and creativity took the task and held a comparative emphasis on their culture, showing their presentations.

At the end of the event, the Methodists of the Republican Medical Prevention Center with activists of the Volunteer anti-drug movement in the Republic of Bashkortostan reminded the participants that the third Sunday of May – this year it is 20 May – is the world AIDS victims’ memory day. This day, millions of people pin a red ribbon on their clothes as a symbol of grief and understanding that AIDS has no borders, nationalities, gender and age, and most importantly as a symbol of hope that humanity will certainly overcome this disease. All participants were awarded with red ribbons, and the most active were awarded with souvenirs and gifts.