The procession passed through Opava, drawing attention to the dangers of smoking. Dancers, drummers, and theatrical performances are also performed as part of the Happening called No Tobacco Day.

Jitka Oboňová, head of the Toys and games object creation department, SŠPU Opava: “We take it in such a way that we have three areas of study. Graphic design, industrial design and toy manufacturing, and every field participates in the parade with some of their designs. So the graphic designer creates a sign design which is then selected for the parade. The Industrial Design major designed the masks, from which the best were selected, and Toy Manufacturing created the great skeletons.”

A procession of students in paper masks with banners and signs saying no smoking walked from Dvořák Park via Horní náměstí, Ostrožna and Olomoucká streets to the hospital’s headquarters. To enhance the experience of the parade, the students dress in black.”

Karel Siebert, SNO director: “This will definitely become a tradition and we are pleased to be able to give a clear signal to the younger generation to stop smoking so they don’t fall into this bad habit. 8 million people die every year from smoking and rely heavily on the younger generation to make this information known.”

Zuzana Pokorová, physician, SNO pulmonary department: “Smoking is useless. It takes away beauty, money and most importantly our freedom. Health and life. At the same time, it is a completely preventable disease, because otherwise they would not die if they did not smoke. Prevention is important because most adults would prefer not to smoke. Smoking starts in childhood and adolescence, and prevention should be aimed at them.”

Quitting smoking is not at all easy. Only a handful of people will succeed, so it’s better not to start at all.

Zuzana Pokorová, physician, SNO pulmonary department: “If someone tries to quit smoking alone, two or three out of a hundred people will succeed within a year. With that help and care, it could be ten times that.”

In the Czech Republic, about a quarter of people aged 15 and over smoke, twice as much as, say, Australia, America or the UK.