CHECKING THE DANGERS OF TOBACCO INTAKE AS THE 2017 WORLD NO-TOBACCO DAY IS COMMEMORATED ON WEDNESDAY MAY 31
Wednesday May 31, the global
community commemorates the World No Tobacco Day. The Day, which is marked
on every 31st of May, was instituted by the United Nations (UN)
through the effort of the World Health Organization (WHO). Annually, WHO
alongside its partners mark the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the
health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies
to reduce its consumption.
The theme of this year’s
commemoration is ‘Tobacco: a threat to development’, which focuses on the
compelling need to end tobacco intake. Frankly, from several angles such as
social, health, economy, and governance, tobacco indeed poses a colossal threat
to human cum societal development.
The BBC English Dictionary defines tobacco as ‘the dried leaves of a
particular plant which people smoke in pipes, cigars, and cigarettes.’ The
products of the tobacco leaves can also be referred to as ‘tobacco’. In the
same vein, tobacco smoking is the act or habit of smoking tobacco leaves or any
of its products to include cigarette, cigar, snuff, et cetera.
There are a number of types of tobacco in existence. It is noteworthy
that, any of the type involved contains unwholesome substances, which cause
untold harm to the body. In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) named
tobacco as the world’s single greatest cause of preventable deaths.
Tobacco smoke contains many
chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and non-smokers. Research shows that
inhaling even a little tobacco smoke can be harmful to the body. This is why
among the various means of consuming tobacco leaves, which include sniffing,
smoking, chewing and stuffing, smoking remains the most dangerous and delicate.
Scientifically survey indicates that, of the more than 7,000 chemicals in
tobacco smoke, at least 250 including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia
are known to be harmful. Among the 250 known harmful chemicals in tobacco
smoke, at least 69 can cause cancer, especially in the lung, kidney, mouth,
larynx, esophagus, bladder, pancreas and cervix.
Tobacco smokers are exposed to variety of risks or health complications
namely: blood clots and aneurysms in the brain which can lead to stroke, blood
clots in the legs which may travel to the lungs, coronary artery disease
including angina and heart attacks, high blood pressure, poor blood supply to
the legs, problems with erections due to decreased blood flow into the penis.
Other health risks or problems are poor wound healing especially after
surgery, asthma, problems during pregnancy such as babies born at low birth
weight, premature labour, miscarriage and cleft lip; decreased ability to taste
and smell, harm to sperm which contributes to infertility, loss of sight as a
result of an increased risk of mascular degeneration, tooth and gum diseases as
well as wrinkling of the skin.
Smokers who switch to
smokeless tobacco instead of quitting tobacco intake completely still have a
number of health risks to include increased risk of mouth or nasal cancer, gum
problems, tooth wear, cavities, worsening high blood pressure, and angina.
Those who do not smoke or take any form of tobacco but always stay around
smokers are also exposed to some health issues such as heart attack and other
heart diseases, lung cancer and sudden reactions involving the eye, nose,
throat, and lower respiratory tract.
Infants and children who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are
not left out. They can easily contract asthma, infections like virus-caused
upper respiratory diseases, ear infections and pneumonia; lung damage or poor
lung function, as well as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Obviously, the aforementioned consequences are good reasons to quit the
intake of tobacco. Like any addiction, quitting tobacco is not an easy task,
especially when the person involved is acting alone. If one intends to quit
smoking or intake of tobacco, family members, friends and co-workers may be
supportive. He can also talk to his health care provider concerning nicotine
replacement therapy and smoking cessation medications. More so, if he or she
joins smoking cessation programmes, which are often offered by hospitals,
health departments, community centres and work sites, he would have a much
better chance of success.
The bitter fact is that the global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million
people each year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from
breathing secondhand smoke. Unless we act, according to WHO, the epidemic is
likely to kill more than eight million persons annually by the year 2030; and
more than eighty percent (80%) of these preventable mortality rates will be
among people living in low and middle income countries like Nigeria.
As Nigeria joins the world to
commemorate the annual World No Tobacco Day, it is the responsibility of every
Nigerian to acknowledge that the dangers of tobacco intake can only be avoided
if its addicts as well as illicit traffickers holistically desist from such
uncalled act.
Similarly, the National Tobacco Control bill that was recently passed
into law by the National Assembly is unarguably a welcome development that
ought to be encouraged by any concerned authority such as the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among others, or anyone who thinks good of the
country. Think about it!
Comrade FDN
Nwaozor
Executive Director,
Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri
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