Say No to Tobacco

We are aware that tobacco is a tough addiction to withdraw from. Whether you are a cigarette smoker, cigar smoker, or tobacco smoker, it is one of the most difficult things that you will want to leave. Tobacco is one of the leading causes of death, illness, and impoverishment.

Seeing the latest figures published by WHO, it is clearly understood that the instructions are not being followed, as a result, the sale and usage of tobacco across the world are scaling high. Hence, we thought of taking a more realistic approach to what tobacco can take away from your life. Let us draw parallels from the life of an average adult.

Each year, more than 8 million people are killed by tobacco. Around 1.2 million of those fatalities are caused by non-smokers being exposed to secondhand smoke, while more than 7 million are caused by direct tobacco use.

Cancer is brought on by smoking tobacco products, which are made of more than 7000 chemicals, many of which are carcinogens.

Life begins not after birth, but when one steps out of college. That's about a time when the average man starts earning and has a disposable income to him (although one may take to tobacco much earlier). However, less or more it is there is always a small kitty that has 'personal' written all over it. Call it peer pressure or society exposure; it seems so natural that before one knows it, one is addicted.

On average to cater to this addiction one spends about Rs. 800 to Rs. 1000 a month to say the least, which makes it around Rs. 12000 a year. Just imagine Rs. 12000 a year being spent on smoking. One could do so much with the money. Even if we were to ignore the traditional ways of using the money like making FDs or deposits, one could buy a decent camera or a smartphone or even a bicycle which can open doors to interesting activities that can take the average man places he never even imagined.

Health Risks of Tobacco

• Wrinkles
• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Lungs Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Mouth Cancer, Throat Cancer, Stomach Cancer, and Pancreas Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Dental Diseases
• Reproductive Problems
• Blindness, Cataract, and Age-Related Problems
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Infect Blood and Immune Systems

Preventions & Suggestions to Stop Use of Tobacco

• Thoroughly observe anti-tobacco laws and regulations
• Establish smoke-free areas in public spaces, schools, and workplaces
• Regular media initiatives to educate the public against tobacco abuse
• Health facilities have a special unit to assist smokers who want to stop
• Increase tobacco taxes to make it more expensive and less widely available to the general public.
• Regular education campaigns regarding the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are conducted in schools and colleges.

What Happens After You Quit Tobacco

The initial weeks of quitting tobacco are critical as the smokers might feel physical and mental symptoms. It is never too late to quit because it is only after that you start feeling that your body is working to attain normalcy. Following are the changes you would feel on quitting the addiction:

• Heart rate and Blood Pressure decrease
• The carbon monoxide levels return to that of a non-smoker
• Blood circulation and lung functioning improve
• The ability to taste and smell returns to normal
• Exercise tolerance improves significantly
• Fatigue, sinus congestion, and coughing reduce
• Nerves start adjusting to the absence of nicotine
• The risk of heart attack is reduced to 50% if someone who smokes
• Stroke risk reduces to half of that of non-smokers.