Tobacco kills. It
causes four million deaths per year and there are 1.1 billion smokers. Half of
these deaths occur in the productive middle age. By 2030, it will cause 10
million deaths per year if the smoking patterns do not change.
Every day, thousands of
young people around the world are trying their first cigarette and 80,000 to
100,000 are becoming regular smokers, often precipitating a lifetime of
addiction and untimely death.
The World Health
Organisation has reported that unless we take every action to change the trend,
250 million children alive today eventually will die from smoking. Those who
die from smoking die on average 14 years earlier. One third of them will die
prematurely because of their dependence on smoking.
In the future, tobacco
will become the leading cause of death and disability, thus, causing more
deaths worldwide than HIV, TB, suicide and homicide. Tobacco is a dangerous
product and hazardous to health. Four thousand compounds have been identified
in tobacco smoke and at least 43 chemicals in tobacco smoke have been
determined to be carcinogenic. TAR -- used in making roads; naptilamine -- used
in making paint; hydrogen cyanide -- used a poison gas; benzyl alcohol
and amyl alcohol and ammonia that gives urine it smell. Tobacco also contains
nicotine, a substance that is recognized as being addictive. Tobacco dependence
is also listed in the International Classification of Diseases.
Tobacco must be seen as
a drag, not as a mere agricultural product. Smoking causes avoidable diseases,
premature deaths and unnecessary suffering. Ecologists consider tobacco
production and consumption as wasteful in all aspects.
There are more than 25
tobacco related diseases known today including cancers of the lungs, lips, oral
cavity, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, larynx, trachea, bronchus and urinary
bladder.
About 90% of lung
cancer deaths, 80% of cases of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and 20 to 25%
of coronary heart disease and stroke deaths are attributable to tobacco use. Nicotine
itself has wide-ranging effects. In increases heart rate, blood flow and blood
sugar. In Malaysia, it is estimated that tobacco causes 10,000 deaths per
year. The prevalence of smoking among adult Malaysian males is 47.2%. The
prevalence of current smokers is high especially among the Malay male (55.6%)
as compared to the Chinese male (34.1%) and Indian male (33.4%). It is
estimated that 28,000 deaths a day will take place in the future if smoking
patterns do not change.
To sustain an addiction
which would otherwise tend to die out, the tobacco industry spends millions of
dollars on advertising. This is thwarting the effort of both the government and
non-government agencies to make Malaysians free from the bad habit. The
Malaysian Medical Association Committee on Action on Smoking and Health has
played a significant lead role in organizing the annual National No Smoking
Week and stop smoking activities in the country for the past 20 years.
Currently, there is an
immense wave of opinion against smoking and this is progressively changing
behavior towards a healthier lifestyle in Malaysia. It is one of the important
activities towards vision 2020. The International Stop Smoking and Win program
(No smoking month 1st May - 31st May 2006) is a global event aimed at
encouraging smoking cessation. This program aims to encourage people to stop
smoking with a positive incentive. It also helps to inform the general public
about harmful effects on health by tobacco consumption. It increases awareness
of the community, especially among teenagers, about the hazards of tobacco. The
program is a global joint event involving at least 100 countries and expects
750,000 to one million participants worldwide to give up smoking for at least a
month. we must encourage our youth not to smoke and educate the community about
the importance of a tobacco-free environment.
Summary: Tobacco consumption
leads to addiction and untimely deaths of millions. The lead cause of death and
disability will be tobacco. Smoking is dangerous to health as it contains four
thousand compounds, TAR, nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, benzyl alcohol, amyl
alcohol, ammonia and 43 chemicals that are carcinogenic. Tobacco production and
consumption is wasteful and cause cancers, bronchitis, and heart diseases. It
raises heart rate, blood flow and blood sugar. Our government is taking steps
to discourage smoking through the national annual No Smoking Week, the monthly
Stop Smoking and Win Program and other stop smoking programs. Changing attitude
towards a healthier lifestyle helps. The programs encourage smoker to stop
their habit providing positive incentive. They inform and increase awareness
society awareness especially youths on adverse effects of tobacco consumption.
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