World No Tobacco Day is celebrated yearly on the 31st of may. It is an initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to advocate for better measures and policies against the consumption of tobacco globally. It should serve as an effective reminder and platform for governments, health institutions and individual people to fight against the global tobacco pandemic . The world changes everyday; with more addicts and tobacco deaths everyday. It is a task upon us all to create and put to use more dynamic means of combating the menace we know as tobacco.
Tobacco; specifically known as “nicotania tabacum” is a plant whose leaves have a high content of nicotine, which is an alkaloid and anxiolytic substance. The infamous leaves of this plant are dried and processed to give use to a wide array of products ranging from cigarettes, to chewing and pipe tobacco, to snuffs, dissolvables and vapes. The use of these products may prove satisfying, but tobacco is truly a silent killer.
Smoking or using tobacco can cause a wide range of terrible side effects such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, lung diseases, reproductive health problems and so many others. Apart from these diseases, tobacco use can also damage our physical appearance in ways like black lips, wrinkles and skin discolouration, tooth decay, gum diseases and so on. The sad reality is that majority of tobacco users only indulge in the temporary pleasures of this evil herb without envisioning the future ahead which may at times end with untimely death or lifelong diseases.
Our government, communities and other societal institutions have big roles to play in the battle against this overrated sport by implementing bans on tobacco advertising, strict packaging laws, higher tobacco taxes and so on. Also, educational institutions should endeavor to raise awareness against this respiratory nemesis. Again, healthcare providers should make available smoking counselling and support services.
To be honest, world “no tobacco day” should be more than just another health talk day organized by the World Health Organization (WHO); it should be a call to action for individuals and governments at large to make better choices and stand against this lung wrecking shrub. Truly, smoking tobacco (or as I would like to call it, “one of nature’s failed productions”), takes away more than it gives. We should always remember that when faced with the temporary pleasure derived from taking tobacco.
BY DIJA YUSUFU PAPKA
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