Child smokers
It is worrying to note that four in 10 school-going children in the country smoke first cigarette before the age of 10 years, and they are hardly refused while buying cigarettes, says a new study. The revelation is startling undoubtedly. Children are the future of the country and the welfare of the country greatly depends on how they perform. If they fail to groom themselves up as worthy citizens, it will take its toll on the family, society and the country as a whole. There are ample evidences that many chain smokers had started smoking at quite an early age. Perhaps they did not face resistance from the parents and relatives in growing this lethal habit. May be the parents and others around did not play their due role in this regard.
There is not a single positive side of smoking while its negative sides are galore. Smoking is the second cause of deaths globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. According to doctors, smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. Bangladesh is more vulnerable to the mortality because here cigarettes are cheaper than other countries. It is disturbing to note that while the number of smokers in many developed countries has decreased significantly, here in Bangladesh the number is increasing.
Not only men, women and teenage girls are also smoking. The smokers do not know what a fatal blow they are inflicting on their health and the health of others around them through this dangerous habit. The people suffering from tobacco consumption related diseases have to spend a lot of money for medical treatment. It puts strain on the family budget. The government has to spend more money in the health sector than it earns from the tobacco companies as revenue. There is no alternative to executing the amended tobacco control law properly to free the public health from various non-contagious diseases caused by smoking and other forms of tobacco uses.
Campaign against the detrimental impact of tobacco consumption should be strengthened. Generation of awareness among the people, particularly teenagers and students is of prime importance. Apart from ban on smoking on certain places, advertising, promotion and sponsorship related to tobacco will have to be prohibited in all print and electronic media. Teachers in schools can explain to students the dangerous impacts of smoking. More stern measures should be taken to discourage smoking in the interest of public health.
