By Olga Aprianti Lee, SIECRC
The harmful health effects from cigarette smoking such as lung cancer and heart attack are relatively well-known. However, other adverse effects of smoking such as blindness, although less well-known, may also be potent motivators for individuals to quit smoking or not to pick up the harmful habit in the first place.
“When Daddy’s Vision Becomes ‘Smoky’” is a beautifully illustrated and easy-to-read book written by Jonathan Au Eong to highlight the lesser known dangers of smoking to school-going children. Jonathan believes that health education should begin at an early age so that healthy habits and behaviours can be more easily ingrained in an individual before he or she becomes an adult. In the long run, the author hopes that the storybook will go some way to reduce the prevalence of smoking in Singapore.
International Eye Cataract Retina Centre, through an educational grant from the Lee Foundation, donated 950 copies of “When Daddy’s Vision Becomes ‘Smoky’” to all 190 primary schools in Singapore. The books were delivered by optometrist Olga Aprianti Lee and Dr Au Eong Kah Guan to the Ministry of Education’s warehouse recently. It is hoped that school children who read the book will learn more about the ill effects of smoking and never be tempted to start smoking.
