Kick the Butt
IIT Hyderabad and Elan 2012 joined hands to organize and promote an anti-smoking event among students. Kick the Butt was sponsored by Prevent India & Medwin Heart Foundation, not-for-profit foundations that aim to increase people's awareness and reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases. Thought up and executed by the Dept. of Liberal Arts and Elan 2012, IITH raised awareness among their students about the harms of cigarette smoking such as lung disease, cancer, and neurological issues that arise from this habit. A 50 foot giant cigarette was installed on the football grounds of the IIT Hyderabad campus, which the students bashed up as a symbolic gesture for 'kicking the butt' and not smoking. There was some media coverage. The fun, innovative method used by IITH in order to reach a wider audience and, consequently, increase their awareness about not smoking was a big success with more than 200 students participating in the event.
