Every year we celebrate “Mother’s Day,” “Father’s Day,” and various other “days” to highlight one thing or the other. The impact of such days usually lasts only for 24 hours and then the message of that day is conveniently forgotten. Now the world is bracing to mark yet another day, “No Tobacco Day.”
Undoubtedly, this is an important issue and involves lives of millions of smokers and their loved ones.
So much has been written about the harmful effects of smoking that I find it useless to re-write those, as everybody is aware of the harms done by smoking and consumption of tobacco.
It is said that a smoker commits suicide while indirectly committing homicide. You are always better off if you quit smoking; it’s never too late. Based on 2012 figures, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50 percent, countries would reduce the global number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and potentially save 11 million lives. It found that increasing tobacco prices by just 10 percent could cut tobacco consumption by about 4 percent in high-income countries and by up to 8 percent in low-and middle-income countries.
The sad part is that nearly six million people die each year from tobacco-related illness. It is encouraging to see that the new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken personal initiative to lay the foundation for a “healthier India” by raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco and saying, “No to smoking!”
It would be better we declare 365 days of a year “No Tobacco Day.” — S.H. Moulana, Riyadh
Say no to tobacco
