Tobacco.org

He lost his voice but speaks against tobacco 

A. Sharfudeen goes from college to college, talking to hundreds of youths, telling them how tobacco use can lead to cancer. But he cannot speak - at least not without the help of a machine.

A 30-year-old smoking habit took its toll and Sharfudeen's larynx, the voice box in the human body, was destroyed by the disease. Today he communicates with the help of an artificial electro-larynx. . . .

Sharfudeen, 64, is the chosen campaigner in the fight against cancer by the Tobacco Cessation Clinic run by cancer expert Vidubala at the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai. His message rang clear on Feb 4, observed as World Cancer Day.

Sharfudeen also doubles as the secretary of the Laryngectomee Welfare Association of Tamil Nadu, a body that provides peer support to about 3,000 cancer patients across the state.

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