HCG Cancer Centre Brings Zombies to Nagpur Streets in Striking Anti-Tobacco Campaign

HCG Cancer Centre Brings Zombies to Nagpur Streets in Striking Anti-Tobacco Campaign

Nagpur, June 2nd , 2025 — In a unique public awareness campaign, organized on account of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ at HCG Cancer Centre, Nagpur, brought the city to a standstill with an unprecedented on-ground initiative, that featured volunteers and HCG non-medical staff dressed as zombies. These differently dressed ones attracted the attention of passers-by in Nagpur’ Civil Lines, Samvidhan Chowk and many crowded areas. This unusual campaign aimed at delivering an impactful visual message about the harmful and life-draining effects
of tobacco use.

On “World No Tobacco Day”, a group of six enthusiastic NSS volunteers and two HCG non- medical staff, took to the streets of Nagpur, visiting traffic signals and high-footfall areas. Dressed as zombies, they held attractive placards, bearing anti-tobacco slogans, such as “ I died young, thanks tobacco”,”One puff at a time… I lost my life” “I’m gone. But you can still quit” and interacted with the passers-by to raise awareness about the long-term damage caused by tobacco consumption.

 The HCG Hospital initiated campaign was designed to symbolically represent how tobacco causes health to degenerate, turning vibrant lives into ghostly shadows. The effort successfully drew the attention of motorists, pedestrians, and commuters, many of whom stopped to engage and learn more about the cause.

 Alongside the street activity, HCG Cancer Centre, Nagpur, also conducted awareness drive
within the hospital premises. These sessions focused on educating patients, caregivers, and
visitors about the dangers of tobacco use, early signs of related diseases and the importance
of preventive screening.

 Dr. Bhaskar Singh, Consultant Surgical Oncology at HCG Cancer Centre Nagpur, said, “Tobacco drains the body from within, often without revealing obvious signs of a progressive condition. Through the HCG zombie campaign, our intention was to create lasting impact on people’s mind. Awareness is the first step towards prevention and our objective was to spark that awareness across the city.”

 Ms. Neeta Rajwar, COO, HCG Cancer Centre Nagpur, added, “The HCG campaign reflects our ongoing commitment to community health. At HCG Cancer Centre, we believe that cancer care begins with education. If we can motivate even a few people to quit tobacco or go for early screening, we would consider it as a successful campaign. We continue to prioritize public health initiatives that goes beyond hospital walls, using creative outreach to address critical health issues.”

 This World No Tobacco Day, the message was loud, clear, and impossible to ignore—tobacco steals life, but awareness can help prevent that.