SMOKING IS NOT INJURIOUS, IT’S LETHAL TO HEALTH
It is rightly said that a cigarette is a pipe with fire at one end and a fool at the other. Who else if not a fool, will smoke a cigarette even after knowing the drastic destruction it can cause to one’s body. But people still do that. Here are some facts to prove it.
- Every day, over 5,500 children start to use tobacco in INDIA.
- Many of them are as young as 8 years old.
- And 2,500 INDIAN’s die from tobacco-related diseases every day.
- Smokers in India consume an average of 8.2 cigarettes per day.
- Smoking has emerged as the third top most risk for health loss in INDIA.
In India, smoking is something that has been continuing from 2000 BC at a time when cannabis was smoked which is now illegal. This is because cannabis slowly destroys your nerve cells. But smoking tobacco does way worse things to human body. It contains nicotine which makes a human being completely addictive and dependent on a tobacco. It suppresses appetite and makes one’s vision poor. It causes chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and constricts blood vessels. More serious affects include blood cancer, mouth cancer, lung cancer, heart diseases, diabetes complications, erectile dysfunction and cervical cancer. The list of harmful effects of smoking is never ending. Still there are so many people around the world who are chain smokers. Recent studies have shown that women more than men have been smoking too much of tobacco.
- India now has more female smokers (over 12.1 million) than any country except the United States.
- Female smoking prevalence increased from 3% in 1980 to 3.2% in 2012.
- Smoking prevalence among Indian men decreased from 33.8% to 23% in the same period.
- An average Indian female smoker puffs more cigarettes a day (7) than her male counterpart (6.1).
- An average Indian woman is taking up smoking at 17.5 years of age as against 18.8 years among men.
Now, we are all about equality and if men have the right to get indulged in debauchery then women have that right too. But we need to be smart about that and love our bodies and health enough to keep going. Ladies, we expect you to be smart enough and thus, we hope that you know what smoking tobacco can do to your body. Apart from causing wrinkly skin, poor eyesight and early menopause, smoking also poses some critical issues like problems with pregnancy, problems for newborns and cervical cancers. None of the women I know would ever want to compromise with their body and skin in such a terrible manner. Also, smoking can lead to early deaths! Sounds like breaking news? Well, no. Any person who lives in a civilized society would know about all these harmful effects of smoking. But the question is what about those people, especially females, who don’t live in educated societies and thrive on very basic one meal per day concept. In such adverse conditions of poverty, it cannot be expected of them to be so aware about these lethal effects of smoking. The solution to this problem has been proposed by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi under who’s leadership, the ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has issued a notification that from 1st April, 2015, graphic depiction on tobacco packages must cover 85% of both the front and back sides. The main reason to do so is to make everyone aware of the harmful effects of tobacco. I request Mr. Modi to take this health issue seriously and solemnly participate in making India a tobacco free nation. Ladies & gentleman, let’s educate people around us and make India a healthier place to live in. We have joined the cause: #LivesBachaoSizeBadhao, now it’s your turn to make a difference. Sign this petition: http://goo.gl/GhDXP0
–—————–
About the Author: This article is contributed by Rashmi Bagri, our intern.
Also read- Have Faith In Me, Dad!
