Don’tFlickIt is an awareness campaign that highlights the danger of flicking cigarette butts from high-rise buildings.
Using social media channels like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Google Forms (Surveys) and even flyer drops, students have been drawing attention and raising awareness of the dangers of this careless act.
Cigarette butts are one of the most prominent causes of building fires. Besides, smoking cigarettes is dangerous not only to our health but is also harmful to the environment. Littered cigarette butts release harmful chemicals and lead into the environment. Arsenic is a chemical used to kill rats. This toxic chemical exposure poisons all animals who digest the cigarette and also releases chemicals into water bodies, poisoning aquatic animals. All these problems can be easily prevented if people quit smoking, or at the very least, dispose of cigarettes responsibly, using designated bins, rather than flicking them anywhere they please.
Keshav Arun of grade 9 has been involved in this campaign for the past 6 months and has managed to generate more than ten thousand impressions over a 3-month period on Twitter alone, besides generating over 4000 views on YouTube, with 229 subscribers.
He and his friends have also been drawing attention to the realities of climate change. Every Wednesday and Sunday from 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm, they run around various communities in Dubai, carrying a sign indicating how individuals can help reduce the carbon footprint of their country. Any one can join this campaign from anywhere. Remember to share this to let more people know about it. Spread the word about climate change and stay safe.
Keshav Arun