If a man standing next to you on the street suddenly pulled out a gun and tried to shoot himself, will you stop him? Probably Yes. On asking you why, the possible answer be that he/she too is someone else’s son/daughter, husband/wife or brother/sister. Seeing someone kill themselves is an act against Nature & God. I have to save them somehow.
To my wonder, this happens everyday with the people around us. We are allowing them to kill themselves slowly through a handy and socially acceptable weapon called the Cigarette.
According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 1.3 billion people in the world who smoke everyday and around 20 million cigarettes are sold everyday in the market. The study also shows that the number of smokers has been reduced in the developed countries over the years, while it is on steep rise in developing countries like India and Pakistan. Every year, 5.6 million people die of tobacco and smoking-related diseases. A smoker dies every six seconds. Around 80% of smokers die before they reach the age of average life expectancy of a person of a country. I don’t know how people can turn blind inspite of knowing its consequences. Various forms of campaigns against smoking and chewing tobacco bring awareness among the masses about their ill-effects, but still people love to have them; apparently, pacifying themselves saying “saukh badi cheez hai” (fondness is a big thing). What kind of ‘saukh’ is that that you are ready to put your life at stake for it?
As far as I am concerned, the way to reduce drug consumption lies in drug education and not in reducing drug production.
Every year, on May 31, WHO and partners mark the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. As far as I am concerned, the way to reduce drug consumption lies in drug education and not in reducing drug production. Due to decline in indigenous production of medicinal drugs and increase in its imports, the price of those particular drugs in the market will rise. This makes the overall treatment expensive, thus hitting hard on the financial stability of the family, as a result of which they and are pushed into long-term poverty.
Nevertheless, there is greater need for mass-level campaigns to educate people about the ill-effects of smoking and consumption of tobacco products.
On this World No Tobacco Day, Say NO TO TOBACCO.
Calls for action
To Policy makers & Public
- Policy makers must recognize that the tobacco trade not only exacerbates the global tobacco epidemic, but also has security implications as it finances organized crime including drugs, human and arms trafficking, as well as terrorism.
- Ratification of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is necessary to respond to the financial, legal and health impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products.
To the academia
- Academic institutions can undertake additional research on the subject of the illicit trade of tobacco products to further document its impacts.
- With the support of progressive organizations & NGOs, mass-level awareness on healthy lifestyles, better and affordable treatment and counseling will help the victims to quit and recover.
Good analytical piece.. however a urdu couplet goes ‘Lamhon ne khata ki thi – sadyon ne saza payee’ meaning the mistake of moments has costed centuries !!
Cigarette, when it was being promoted as a symbol of being modern, educated and elite, hardly were there any articles like above. The society embraced, it became culture, habit and addiction. And addiction – whatever may be the sort – is doomed to fail the addict. Irony of the day is we still have a culture where smoking is glorified and promoted – the pop culture, films and what not !!! Are we ready to reclaim our body & space ?? Each one of us should ask ourselves.