Vijayawada, 2 June 2025 — Marking “World No Tobacco Day”, HCG Curie City Cancer Centre, Vijayawada, in association with Government Dental Doctors and students, organized a unique public awareness campaign titled, “Zombie Walk: Tobacco turns You into the Walking Dead”, in the vicinity of the Government Dental College.
Participants dressed up as decaying “zombies”, to symbolize the slow, destructive effects of tobacco on the human body. The dramatization carried an effective message: that tobacco doesn’t kill instantly — it causes the body to decay from within, over time. Some participants bore painted messages across their attire and props, echoing lines, including “I died young. Thanks, tobacco,” and “Smoking didn’t kill me fast — it made me rot slowly.” Others embodied phrases such as “The real horror? Tobacco addiction” and “This is what 15 cigarettes a day looks like”; sending strong visual cues, that caught the attention of onlookers and passersby, making them stop in their tracks, to pause and imbibe the gravity of the messages.
Mr Yuva Kishore Terli, Chief Operating Officer, HCG Curie City Cancer Centre, Vijayawada, added: “This initiative reflects HCG’s continued focus on cancer prevention through public engagement. Using creative manifestations, such as the Zombie Walk, we’re able to connect with the community at a deeper level and enforce the imperative that quitting tobacco is not just necessary, but urgent. We at HCG remain committed to supporting people at every step of their tobacco-free journey.”
The walk concluded with a community interaction, where doctors urged the public to prioritize preventive care and voluntarily decline the first cigarette, or packet of chewing tobacco, altogether. With efforts like these, HCG Cancer Hospital continues to lead from the front in spreading awareness, offering early diagnosis, and empowering individuals to fight tobacco-related diseases with appropriate and effective, support and medical intervention.