Leadership (Abuja)
Chika Okeke
6 July 2008
opinion
The recent ban on smoking in public places has attracted a lot of mixed feelings amongst Nigerians. This is because it is a welcome development for non-smokers while smokers view it as underestimating their personality.
The inherent dangers associated with smoking equally contributes to health hazards. The negative implications outweigh the practice itself. Some have become so addicted to smoking that they can't live without cigarettes.
Smoking is a habit of inhaling the smoke of dried tobacco or other leaves from a pipe or a cigarette. It ranges from cigar, marijuana, Indian hemp etc. Smoking has been in practice for centuries in various communities, often using plants with hallucinogenic or other mood-altering properties. The habit of smoking began in America and spread to Europe in the 16th century. Mass production of cigarette began in the 19th century.
Researchers have noted an unequivocal association between smoking and such life threatening diseases as lung cancer, chronic arthritis, emphysema and diseases of the arteries. Smoking appears to play a part in some forms of cancer and peptic ulcers. It is responsible for 2-2.5 million deaths each year. It is not yet clear what part of the smoke is responsible for promoting diseases.
Non smokers stand at 60% risk of contracting life threatening disease. They may be affected by environmental smoke; passive smokers are perhaps 3 times more likely to die of lung cancer than smokers. Smoking causes both physical and psychological addiction. Some are of the view that cigarette makes them agile and completely whole while others believe that it keeps body and soul together.
Perhaps, the most dangerous aspect of smoking is addiction. An addict can hardly do without the extra stick of cigarette. Cigarette smoking is addictive and is known to be a causative factor in the development of throat cancer, heart and respiratory disorders. The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
In a number of countries, there have been anti-smoking campaigns and a ban on the advertising of tobacco products on television. Cigarette packets and press advertisement also carry government health warnings. Smokers are known to have poor eating habit; their appetite for food is actually low.
The health hazards resulting from the practice of smoking have generally been recognised by the public. Filter cigarettes and then low-tar and low nicotine cigarette have gained popular acceptance.
Behavioural scientists have devoted much attention to helping people stop smoking. Although many people have successfully quit, many others have had great difficulty ending the habit.
Dr. Lola Sadiq of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that tobacco kills 5.4 million people yearly.
To buttress his fact, a report published in Archives of international medicine has it that middle-aged adults who smoke appear to have a higher than average risk of developing memory impairments.
Amanda Sandford, from the pressure group action on smoking and health (ASH) equally noted that the results published in the journal of the Association for research into otolaryngology should serve as a warning particularly to young smokers. She said that there are so many young people who think that they can give up smoking in middle age and escape some of the other diseases associated with it. In this case, some of the damages may already have been done. Long term ex-smokers are likely to have deficits in memory and verbal reasoning ability.
One may ask, where are these public places that the act of smoking cannot be condoned? It includes motor parks, religious areas, government offices, courts, markets etc.
Over the weekend, I saw a guy smoking in the market, I quickly cautioned him on the ban on smoking in public places and informed him that anybody caught smoking will be made to pay a fine or be imprisoned. He quickly added, "Don't mind them, if those in government actually want to put a stop to smoking, it must begin from those in power". He continued, "Most of them are chain smokers but the only difference is that they carry out their usual routine in secret places which may be known or not known by anybody".
I was amazed because he critically analysed that he smokes in public at times while the former smoke in a secret place. I reminded him of the inherent danger the flames causes to human health. He refuted my suggestion that whether smoking in public or secret places, smoking is smoking.
Efforts to educate the public have concentrated on presenting negative images of smoking, limiting the public spaces in which smoking is permitted, regulating the advertising of cigarettes and increasing the cost of cigarettes by taxation.
Some controversy exists between those who believe smoking is an individual choice and those who believe society has the right to act on its own behalf. People should learn to make choices that are healthy. Public health messages should target smokers at all stages. This is why the Federal Ministry of Health have cautioned that smokers are liable to die young. Smokers should abstain because delay could be dangerous.
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