UP IN SMOKE: Drive against public smoking

Hyderabad: Many people across the world start the year by making a commitment to healthier living. To motivate such people, the nation celebrates ‘Non-Smoking Week’ from January 20 to 26. The main purpose of this week is to spread awareness about the harmful health effects of tobacco consumption through cigarette and other modes. The message is to help smokers to get rid from the bad habit of smoking.

Smoking or chewing tobacco is one of the worst habits one can get addicted to. The health risks are known to all but still thousands of youth, between 12 to 17 years of age, start smoking each day. Some start it out of curiosity and others just want to imitate the grownups. The effects of smoking start with coughing and throat irritation accompanied with bad breath and bad smelling clothes.

It also leads to a patchy skin and discolouration of teeth. Over the time, more serious conditions may develop, including health problems like heart disease, bronchitis, pneumonia, stroke, and many types of cancer, out of which, oral cancer being quite common.

There is an urgent need to create awareness that it is illegal to smoke at places where tobacco consumption and smoking is prohibited. The lackadaisical attitude of the State towards the prohibition of smoking in public places. The State must implement the prohibition stringently by making it into a law.

This includes any enclosed workplace including a workplace vehicle, any enclosed public place, and other smoke-free places including school and hospital grounds, playgrounds and sports fields, and community recreational facility property.