“Do you mind if i don’t smoke?” – Groucho Marx
I made up my mind about writing on this issue today, because of a stranger.Yesterday i was on the walking track, when suddenly i was irritated by cigarette smoke.Strangely enough, a man was walking and talking, as well as SMOKING on the walking track! People walk and exercise to feel healthy yet they were passively smoking on cigarette smoke and destroying their lungs unwillingly and unknowingly all because of an ignorant man and laws which are not strict enough to prevent us from smoking, smokers and second-hand smoke.
“Men are nicotine-soaked, beer-besmirched, whiskey-greased, red-eyed devils.” – Carry Nation
What do we know about tobacco and smoking?Below are some common and important smoking facts:
*Smoke of cigarettes or other forms of tobacco spread nicotine.It is a drug which acts as a stimulant.If taken in large amounts, it can prove fatal too.Nicotine can make people addicted to it, cigarettes usually don’t have a high amount to make it possible.But it does make withdrawal from the “cigarette difficult.Even those who try,do face withdrawal symptoms.These include, urge to take more, headaches etc. Therefore, usually people are unable to let go of smoking.Also the quantity of nicotine in the cigarettes has been rising over the years, companies increase it’s quantity to increase sales, and to make people stick to it.So letting go of cigarettes is becoming more and more difficult!
*Nicotine pesticides were being used till recent on plants, but they are fatal and harmful to mammals therefore year 2014 will see the end of nicotine pesticide.God knows when nicotine will be banned for humans too!
*Smoke of cigarettes and other forms of tobacco includes 4,000 different chemicals, Which are inhaled and spread in the atmosphere at the same time.This tar of chemicals gets deposited in lungs and spreads in all parts of the body.
*Carbon mono oxide is released during the process of smoking, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the body.
*The diseases spread by smoking are diverse and fatal.These include lung cancer, COPD, heart disease, many other forms of cancer including leukemia,mouth, throat, kidney cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, tuberculosis, rhinitis, hyperthyroidism, crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, raynaud’s disease, pulmonary fibrosis, early menopause and aging as well as osteoporosis.And the list is too long.Primary causes of deaths in smokers is due to ischemic heart disease and cancer of lungs and bronchus.
*Children who are passive smokers, and are living in houses filled with tobacco smoke all the time, are more prone to cancers and COPD.What more, there are more chances of them to become a smoker when they grow up, because of negative influence practiced daily before their eyes.
Cigarettes, cigars, or any form of tobacco smoking forms the foundations for kids to indulge into illegal drugs too later on.Children who are constantly inhaling tobacco smoke are not good enough in studies because of concentration problems.Kids living in smoke filled houses fall more sick than from smoke free houses.
“Parents should not smoke in order to discourage their kids from smoking. A child is more likely to smoke when they have been raised in the environment of a smoker.” – Christy Turlington
*Cigarettes overall have no positive impact or outcome. The ‘for fun’ thing quickly develops into habit, and than a necessity, and then FATAL! Tobacco will kill 1 billion people in the 21st century.
*Smokers throw a huge amount of money – DOWN THE DRAIN!
*Cigarettes are also a deadly cause of house fires.
*Middle and low income groups are more indulged in smoking.
“If people don’t love themselves enough to cut down on their smoking, they may love someone else enough to do it.” – Unknown
The most interesting fact is that governments and tobacco companies are easily maligning the rising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and smoking.The written warnings on the cigarette covers are just a way to ridicule the truth that declares cigarettes a leading cause of death.This fact is actually being converted into twisted tales about how the world is facing much bigger problems than smoking and how the scientists need to come up with substantial proof that smoking actually is the biggest cause of many leading prevailing diseases.Tobacco industry stands in the way of implementing complete ban on cigarette productions.
They manipulate health related facts about smoking and demand proof, they threaten to sue governments if any action taken against them, they make FAKE youth and child smoking prevention programs, they try to influence the legislation processes going against them, but i believe none of this is not a valid reason for a government body to dismiss their operations.Governments are sublime, they have the power to ‘enforce’, instead of gaining ‘influence’!I am pretty sure there are many smokers within them too hampering the process and accepting favors from the accused.
“It’s disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.”
– Senator Edward Kennedy (MA) On seeking FDA regulatory power over tobacco.
I sincerely believe that by making laws ONLY, and letting others violate them is not the solution.First, the law and order enforcement agencies need to be strictly monitored whether they themselves are also involved in smoking or not.It should be one of the selection procedures, that their cotinine tests be taken.
These tests are usually taken by insurance companies to check whether the policy holder is a smoker or not.Our body converts nicotine into cotinine, and as the existence of cotinine in our our body is for a longer span before excretion, cotinine tests are more specific and useful as compared to nicotine tests.Once it confirmed that the law and order personnel is a non-smoker, then his/her chances of being lenient towards smokers is the least possibility.
Secondly, environmental acts should also be strictly observed, as smoking destroys earth’s environment with all the smoke which is chemically unsafe too.
Despite of bans on smoking ad’s and campaigns, their marketing and publicity continues.Marketing companies,ad agencies, print media, entertainment channels all should be compelled under law to obey the ban, and must be stopped from operating once found going beyond the law.
Families of smokers can play a pivotal role.Their involvement is essential.They can emotionally support smokers in quitting or trying to quit smoking.Keeping an eye on their social circles, and observing their routines can help indicating smoking at an earlier stage and hence, the reversal would be easier for the smoker.
Educational institutes are unfortunately a safe heaven for young students to get involved in smoking, and the next level which is even more harmful – drugs.Teachers and school administrations need to guide them by planning lectures about it’s negative influence and drastic effects.The school premises should be monitored at all times to control smoking.
Public places like parks, walking tracks, restaurants, shopping malls, should be strict no smoking areas.Also public transportation’s like buses, subways, airlines all should control passengers and putting smoking to a halt within these transport systems.
Another very alarming and uncontrollable reason for smoking is usually economic poverty, as well as stress and depression.It seems that people develop stress due to poverty, but still are ready to beat it by spending money on smoking.This is only because cigarettes or tobacco is easily available to all.It’s just like giving a bottle of acid to a kid, the availability should be controlled by raising prices of the cigarettes and cigars.This will control the lower and middle sections of the societies,but what about the elites?Laws should be for all, and as it is prevailing that tobacco prices are increased every year, it still creates partiality between classes.Therefore,before acquiring jobs, work, admission in educational institutes, and especially before being nominated for positions and privileges, the cotinine test should be taken, it should be cheap so that all can afford, infact it should be state financed.
“Tobacco use is unlike other threats to global health. Infectious diseases do not
employ multinational public relations firms. There are no front groups to promote
the spread of cholera. Mosquitoes have no lobbyists.”
– Thomas Zeltner, David A. Kessler, Anke Martiny, Fazel Randera: “Tobacco Company Strategies to Undermine Tobacco Control Activities at the World Health Organization”
Nothing i can say for smoking can exhibit the true feelings of resentment and agitation.To my chagrin, i encounter the more smokers than my displeasure.It makes me feel we are senseless individuals, as if we are committing suicide.We are not that weak to give in that easily.We cannot cease our powers to think and reason, just to give up our lives with the smoke we exhale.Life is too precious and purposeful, we cannot dis-value it.Our whimsical behavior towards poison and our already proven disregard towards humanity is vindictive.Let’s all those who smoke, promise to our hearts to keep it beating, to our breaths to free them of smoke, to our atmosphere that we will stop ruining it more, to our coming generations, that we will not be hopeless and idle.Our future is getting grim in all this smoke, lets put down this cigarette, and consider it the last!
“I want all hellions to quit puffing that hell’s fume in God’s clean air”. – Carry Nation
Credits:Carlos Paes
Compassion Through Thoughts! 
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