Here are some myths on tobacco that can kill you.
Myth: Healthy habits make up for smoking or using tobacco.
Fact: That’s just an excuse to puff away like a chimney. No amount of healthy diet, regular exercise or vitamins can undo the deadly effects of tobacco.
Myth: Light/mild/natural/ organics cigarettes are OK
Fact: Tobacco is enough to kill you. You don’t need to add anything to it. You can smoke the ‘milder’ ‘lighter’ versions and still end up getting lung cancer or die of a heart attack.
The list on myths and facts is endless. However, this has not stopped India from becoming the second in the world in the number of people who use tobacco. Do you know what the number is ? It’s a staggering 275 million!
The World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on the May 31, across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco epidemic is the biggest public health threat the world has ever faced. It is also one of the leading causes of death, illness and impoverishment.
Various studies have found that approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco and this accounts for one in 10 adult deaths. Tobacco kills nearly six million people every year, of whom more than five million are from direct tobacco use and more than 6,00,000 are nonsmokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
Nearly 80% of the world's one billion smokers live in low and middle inc o m e countries. Even more alarming is the fact that consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally.
You may be shocked to know that even non-smokers who breathe in second-hand smoke can die of cancer. The smoke in the offices, restaurants and theaters contain more than 4,000 chemicals, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 can cause cancer in passive smokers.
While, second-hand smoke can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease in adults, it can cause sudden deaths in infants. Second-hand smoke can make your blood more ‘sticky’ leading to clots, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Researchers say that passive smoking r e d u c e s the levels of antioxidant vitamins in the blood. Excessive exposure to second-hand smoke can lead to narrowing of your arteries.
A child when exposed to passive smoking during the first 18 months of his/her life is more likely to develop respiratory problems such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Children who are constantly exposed to passive smoking at home are at a higher risk of developing asthma, prone to frequent cough, wheezing and breathlessness.
If you are a smoker, quitting can be one of the biggest challenges. But, think of it in this way – this can be the most rewarding and life changing decision of your life.
(Dr Narayanan Kutty Warrier is an Medical Oncologist at the Malabar Insitute of Medical Sciences & Cooperative Hospital)
