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Resist tobacco cravings

Published : Tuesday, 30 May, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 449

Resist tobacco cravings

Resist tobacco cravings

Smoking is the process of burning tobacco products in a special way and inhaling its smoke into the body. Tobacco leaves contain nicotine. Although it gives people some pleasure, nicotine is actually toxic. Due to its effect, people are affected by various diseases. Lung cancer is one of them. World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on May 31 every year. The day is observed around the world to encourage abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption for a period of 24 hours.

The day also aims to draw attention to the high prevalence of tobacco use and its negative impact on health, which is currently estimated to be the cause of approximately 6 million deaths worldwide each year, with around six lakh non-smokers likely to be harmed by the effects of second-hand smoke. World No Tobacco Day was established in 1987 by member states of the World Health Organization. The day has been celebrated around the world with enthusiasm from governments, public health organizations, smokers, manufacturers, and the tobacco industry.

The tobacco plant is native to North and South America. The dried leaves of the plant are called tobacco. Tobacco plants grow 12-18 inches tall. Tobacco is highly addictive. Cigarettes, hookahs, and other smoking media are prepared by burning tobacco. Apart from smoking, tobacco is used in a variety of ways, such as chewedjorda, which is eaten with betel leaf, pressed between the lips like gul.
Nicotine, the main intoxicant in tobacco, is a type of neurotoxin that acts on a type of acetylcholine receptor. But tobacco smoke contains many carcinogenic substances besides nicotine, such as benzopyrene, a polycyclic aromatic compound. Tobacco is highly toxic. If enters the body by chewing as much tobacco as there is in a single cigarette, a quick death is inevitable. However, smoking also leads to a gradual decrease in life expectancy, not only due to the incidence of cancer, but also due to heart disease.

It is universally recognized by the World Health Organization, along with various scientists, that smoking is one of the main causes and carriers of many diseases, including tuberculosis, lung cancer. Studies have shown that 56 toxic chemicals including nicotine are present in cigarette smoking. A research report conducted in 192 countries by the World Health Organization, published in 2010, reported that about six lakh people worldwide die every year due to the effects of second-hand smoke, even if they do not smoke. One hundred and sixty five thousand of them are children.

Children are prone to death due to pneumonia and asthma due to second hand smoke. In addition, second-hand smoke causes respiratory diseases including heart disease, lung cancer. Studies have also revealed that second-hand smoke has a more harmful effect on women than men. Most smokers start smoking in adolescence or early adulthood. Teenagers are more influenced by their peers than adults. Efforts by parents, schools, and health professionals to stop people from trying to smoke are not always successful.

Daily mood states reported by smokers confirmed that mood was normal during smoking and worsened when not smoking. A person addicted to smoking needs nicotine to feel normal. Cigarette smoke contains mutagens that cause cancer. They cause cancer in the human mouth, trachea, pharynx and lungs. Smoking cause's inflammation of the airways and cough called bronchitis. It gradually narrows the airways causing asthma and shortness of breath. Smoking narrows the airways and causes hyperinflation in the lungs. Many people have a severe cough and mucus may come up from the lungs with cough due to smoking.

Education and counselling of children and adolescents can play an effective role in reducing the risk of tobacco use. As smoking and the use of tobacco products are harmful to public health, Bangladesh signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on June 16, 2003 and ratified it on May 10, 2004 at the 56th World Health Organization Conference. According to Bangladesh Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005 no person can smoke in any public place and public transport. Any person who violates this provision shall be liable to a fine not exceeding three hundred taka and if such person commits the same offense for the second time or again, he shall be liable to double the said penalty from time to time.

No person shall- (a) promote or advertise in print or electronic media, in any book, leaflet, handbill, poster, printed paper, billboard or signboard or in any other manner any tobacco product; (b) not give or offer to give to the public any sample of tobacco products free or at low cost for the purpose of enticing them to buy; (c) not pay any donation, prize, scholarship, or expense of any event for the purpose of advertising or promoting the use of tobacco products; (d) not advertise or make any advertisement in any theatre, print and electronic media or on any web page relating to tobacco or tobacco products; (e) Not to advertise, display or depict on television, radio, internet, stage program or any other media any scene of use of tobacco products in any film, drama or documentary produced or available in Bangladesh and produced abroad.

However, a written warning about the harmful effects of the use of tobacco products may be displayed on the screen in the manner prescribed by the rules during the screening of any film containing the use of tobacco products if it is necessary for the plot of the film; (f) not manufacture, sell or distribute any other goods or wrappers, packets or cartons similar to tobacco product wrappers, packets or cartons; (g) not promote or advertise tobacco products in any manner at the point of sale of tobacco products.

No person shall use or encourage any other person to use the name, sign, trademark, symbol of any tobacco or tobacco product manufacturing company when participating in social activities as part of social responsibility programs or in payment of expenses for such activities. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or with fine not exceeding one lakh taka or with both, and if such person commits the same offense for the second time or again, he shall be punished periodically with double the said penalty.

We can directly or indirectly treat tobacco with strong resistance. This can start from individual, family, society, neighbourhood, thana, upazila, district, department gradually at country level. First of all, those who are in the administration must enact and enforce tougher laws to stop tobacco use through law enforcement.

NGOs, electronic and print media should direct public awareness about the ill effects of smoking including advertisements, dramas, movies, articles on its adverse effects of tobacco and tobacco products.

The writer is a columnist & asst. officer, Career & Professional Development Services Department, Southeast University







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