Dr. Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
National No Smoking Day (12th March) is an ideal time to start your journey towards a healthier, smoke-free life. Everyone is aware that "Smoking" has been criticized as the most lethal weapon of self-destruction. According to the Tobacco Products Act, 2004, direct and indirect advertising of all tobacco products and their sale to minors is banned. Addiction to nicotine makes it hard to quit. The increasing incidence of heart attacks in India, fast spreading among the younger generation, has been largely on account of smoking habits. "No Smoking Day" is a powerful reminder that quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make for your health.
The problem of smoking in India is widespread, but no studies have been done to estimate what percentage of the population are smokers. Roadside paan shops, bountifully stocked with cigarettes, feed smokers continuing to exhale smoke from cigarettes. It is a fact that smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive.
Smoking harms not just the smoker but also family members, coworkers, and others who breathe the smoker's cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke or passive smoke. In fact, statistics tell us that approximately 70 out of 100 people who smoke want to stop but continue puffing, day in and day out, seemingly powerless to quit. Research has shown that non-smokers who reside with a smoker have a 24% increase in risk for developing lung cancer when compared with other non-smokers.
Owners of sales outlets must display boards with warnings like "tobacco causes cancer", "tobacco kills", and "sale to minors is a punishable offence". Sometimes it happens that notification prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors has no effect as teenagers continue to buy tobacco/cigarettes on the pretext that they are buying it on behalf of their elders.
The youth are the most vulnerable group as far as the consumption of tobacco is concerned. Most of them begin smoking as a fad and even as a rite of passage. According to The Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report 2014, India has slipped to 136th position in the list of 198 countries that warn smokers about the hazards of smoking through graphic pictures on cigarette packages.
Graphic health warnings using a mixture of pictures and words are part and parcel of every country's policy on cigarette marketing. However, cigarette manufacturers share the kitty with vested interests, hence their interest is well protected with simple modifications to fool the general public.
The government has come out with good points to deal with the matter, but at the same time, taxes on tobacco products should go up to help smokers give up. Such methods will be long-lasting. Moreover, there is a need for awareness campaigns to educate people about the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
It's high time people wake up to the danger of smoke to themselves and passive smokers before it's too late. Quitting smoking can be challenging, but it's not impossible. With the right support and resources, smokers can overcome their addiction and lead a healthier life. Let's join hands to create a smoke-free India and promote a healthier lifestyle for all. Let us take a step towards
a healthier, smoke-free life - ditch the cigarettes and embrace freedom from nicotine. |
