As the holiday season approaches, the second edition of the ENSP Tobacco Free Advent Calendar (#TFAC2023) is launched, bringing a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco, nicotine, and stress. In partnership with the Organization for Medical Students Cluj (OSM Cluj), ENSPNext has assembled a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of passionate youth dedicated to both crafting and sharing this initiative. The calendar’s mission is to offer well-founded perspectives on the biomedical and physiological aspects of stress, with a specific emphasis on nicotine’s role as a stress factor.

The activities of the calendar started on the 1st of December 2023 and will last until the 24^th of December 2023. During this month, the ENSP Tobacco Free Advent Calendar will be available to the public, offering a wealth of interactive materials, captivating videos, and exciting opportunities to win prizes, which became possible with the help of a series of researchers and medical doctors from the ENSPNext and its partners that have contributed to the creation of this year’s content and that we are eager to have you discover more and more every day, by accessing the interactive platform.

All of this will be presented within the festive context of Christmas, making it the most wonderful time of the year to engage with the calendar’s important message.

With the start of the most wonderful time of the year, the Christmas spirit extended to our colleagues and friends from Armenia who wished to engage even more with the calendar’s important message. This is why in collaboration with the American University of Armenia, the Armenian version of the calendar is now online and will run according to the Gregorian calendar! soon.

ENSPNext and OSM Cluj seek to counteract the misleading messages perpetuated by the tobacco industry. By providing evidence-based information and debunking common misconceptions, the calendar aims to educate individuals about the misconception that nicotine relieves stress and showcases its negative impact on physical and mental health.

The main aim is to enhance participants’ understanding of stress, its causes, symptoms, and effective management strategies. The calendar also raises awareness about the harmful effects of nicotine, the challenges of dependence, and the importance of quitting smoking. Stress is a widespread issue in today’s fast-paced society, impacting people of all ages and backgrounds. By offering evidence-based insights into stress biomedicine and physiology, the calendar empowers individuals to manage stress better and enhance their overall well-being. Nicotine, a highly addictive substance in tobacco, is often used as a coping mechanism for stress.

Meanwhile, in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), a vibrant set of activities awaits participants during different TFAC2023 side activities.

OSM Cluj prepared stickers and Christmas decorations for students and distributed informative flyers around the university campus. These activities have been designed not only to spread awareness but also to start and create a conversation with young people about the damage created by nicotine and their perception of this phenomenon.

Our partners

Esteemed partners from various organizations and institutions from across Europe actively play a crucial role in supporting and amplifying the impact of this initiative.

The list of partners and supporters includes but is not limited to University Sapienza Roma, American University of Armenia, Bin your butts Leuven, Victor Babes Hospital Timisoara, University of Vlora (Albania), University of Deusto (Spain), Nofumadores (Spain), A Non Smoking Generation (Sweden), Medical University of Gdansk (Poland) and many more…

This holiday season, let us come together to support the mission of the TFAC2023. By engaging every day with the calendar, by spreading the word, and empowering others to make choices that support their health and well-being, you can contribute to the creation of a tobacco-free generation and the development of a healthier and stress-less future for all!

Stay tuned for the latest updates, come back every day for interactive content that aims to inspire positive change in individuals, communities around us, and share with your peers to encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle

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