Smoking or eating tobacco remains to be the major cause of death and diseases. It affects the entire body from head to toe. Tobacco use causes hearing loss, yellowing of the conjunctiva and early cataract. In addition, teeth decay, gums get diseased and the breath smells foul. Smoking also turns hair prematurely grey, amplifies the incidence of stroke and accelerates dementia. There are recurrent attacks of cough and cold and eventually leads to chronic bronchitis, emphysema and respiratory failure, as per experts. Hypertension is aggravated, and heart attacks are more common. Apart from it, male tobacco users are 50 per cent more likely to have impotence.
Women who smoke cigarettes, take snuff or chew tobacco are more likely to develop osteoporosis. The babies they have tend to be preterm, have low birth weight, defects and deformities of the mouth and fall victim to sudden infant death syndrome.
These are not the all ill effects of tobacco use but a few. Annually it is responsible for one million casualties in India.
The country ranks second in the number of smokers between the ages of 16 and 64. Around 267 million adults (aged 15 and above) are tobacco users, with the most prevalent — popular — form of tobacco product being the smokeless variants.
While the tobacco industry is rich and powerful, most victims of tobacco are poor and largely voiceless.
Tobacco use is a major public health concern as well as causes significant financial costs. A World Health Organization survey found that the financial burden of tobacco-use in India stood at one per cent of its GDP. Besides the diseases and economy, the collateral damage of smoking ought to be far higher than anticipated. It is not only that direct smokers are affected. As per a recent study, secondary smoke exposure in India leads to direct annual healthcare costs that run in billions.
The data about use and ill-effects raise questions about the efficacy of the deterrents in place and among others includes mandatory 85 per cent of the surface area of cigarette packets must contain graphically statutory warning.
Of all the countries, India has the highest proportion of oral cancer patients among young adults.
Behavioural science says that people sometimes make decisions because they are manipulated by the information available to them. Public awareness programmes must be formulated to sensitize smokers to the risks they pose to themselves and those exposed due to secondary smoking.
The dangers of tobacco must not be concealed. Everyone has a duty to help tobacco users. Every user must understand that tobacco, whether smoked, sniffed, eaten or vaped, eventually kills through myriad diseases.
