World No Tobacco Day: Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates Sand Art with 1,000 Cigarettes to Spread Awareness

Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, internationally acclaimed sand artist Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik has crafted a powerful and thought-provoking sand art at Puri beach using  1,000 real cigarettes to highlight the grave dangers of tobacco consumption.

The installation, which drew large crowds of onlookers and tourists, serves as a stark reminder of the destructive impact tobacco has on individual health, families, and society at large. Sudarsan's intricate design symbolizes the rising death toll and health crisis linked to tobacco addiction in India and around the world.

“As tobacco continues to claim lives in the country, my art aims to caution the youth and inspire people to quit the habit,” Pattnaik said. Sharing the image of his creation on X (formerly Twitter) , he added:

 “Through this installation, I hope to remind people that tobacco addiction doesn’t just harm individuals—it deeply affects families and communities. Let’s choose health over habit. #SayNoToTobacco.”

This impactful initiative comes as part of global efforts on May 31st, observed annually as World No Tobacco Day, to raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco and to advocate for effective policies to reduce its consumption.

Sudarsan Pattnaik’s artistic activism continues to use the power of visual storytelling to promote social messages and bring critical public health issues into the spotlight.