Should non-smokers be bothered by cigarette smoke?
Should non-smokers be bothered by cigarette smoke?
"My husband used to smoke all the time," Nalini, who lives in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, told a foreign broadcaster. I didn't know it would affect me or it would be just as bad for me. I was worried about his health and kept telling him to quit smoking, but I don't think anything I said would have affected him. "
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that smoking kills 8 million people each year. Of these, 1.2 million smokers died from exhaust fumes. Many people around the world suffer from life-threatening diseases. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, we have the stories of people like Nalni. They are among the people who do not smoke themselves but suffer from other diseases due to their partner's smoking habit.
Change of voice
One day Nalini was telling interesting stories to her first granddaughter Janani when she realized that her voice had become hoarse. In a short time she could not speak clearly and her breath was starting to swell. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors removed his vocal cords, muscles and thyroid. "I lost my ability to speak," she says. It was very frustrating. Then the doctors told me I would never get my voice back. "
Janani, now 15, remembers what happened to her "talking grandmother" all of a sudden. Janani recalls the day when her grandmother was not at home when she was diagnosed with the disease. However, when her grandmother returned, four-year-old Nalini noticed that she had tubes in her abdomen. "There were tubes everywhere. We often had to clean our house and have a nurse with us. I don't think I ever felt the seriousness of it then. It was all awkward for me. "
Breast cancer
Nalini received good medical care and was able to speak again with the help of a vibration voice box. She knew in that look that he had failed her. "I got cancer because of my husband," says Nalini. Most smokers exhale toxic substances and those around them do not smoke themselves but suffer from one type of passive smoking and other smokers' exhaust fumes. There are.'
Carcinogens
The WHO insists that "all types of tobacco are harmful and there is no safe exposure to tobacco." Angela Ceubano, technical officer for tobacco control at the WHO European Office, said: "Smoke from other people contains more than 7,000 chemicals, 70 of which can cause cancer. "For non-smokers, secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent."
Tobacco smoke also impairs our heart health. "Exposure to second-hand smoke for less than an hour can damage the lining of the arteries of the heart, increasing the risk of having a heart attack," she said.
Infant mortality
The United Nations World Health Organization estimates that 65,000 children die each year from inactive smoking. Children exposed to second-hand smoke also have an increased risk of ear infections, which can lead to hearing loss and deafness. " The risk is 50 to 100 percent higher, as well as the risk of asthma and sudden death symptoms.
Smoking ban
The WHO also argues that there is strong support for smoking cessation among smokers and non-smokers. "A completely non-smoking environment is the only effective way to protect the health of non-smokers," says Ceubano.
"Don't let anyone smoke near you or your children," she insisted. Clean air is a basic human right. ”However, reducing tobacco use is not easy.
An analysis by Grand View Research estimates that the industry was worth 8 850 billion in 2021. This is almost double the economic output, or GDP, of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. The World Bank estimates that by 2020, Nigeria's economy will be worth 4 430 billion. Grand View Research says the growing demand for tobacco has been sustained by the growing number of smokers in the developing regions of Asia and Africa. Large resource companies violate health regulations and sometimes manage to delay smoking bans.
Long struggle
Enuro Eltebayeva was part of a group of Kyrgyz parliamentarians who joined the influential groups to pass a bill in 2018 banning smoking in public places. He argued that tobacco was causing 6,000 deaths in the country each year and that smoking cessation could reduce tobacco use by up to 10 percent. However, they faced a very strong reaction.
'Dirty and personal attacks'
"Due to the involvement of some members of parliament in the tobacco industry, the proposal was sent to a select committee to delay the amendment," she said. "Officials at the Ministry of Economic Affairs have also expressed concern about the reduction in tax revenue," he said. "Some people attacked me and my family on social media," he said.
The work of Ultibayfa is still a long way off. She is running awareness campaigns and building support among different communities against tobacco use. "A 2013 survey found that smoking among men was slowly declining, but smoking among women was increasing," she said. Women hide this habit, so they want to prevent young women from getting addicted.
Slow growth
Global efforts to help reduce tobacco-related deaths have taken the form of the 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. So far, 182 countries have signed the framework. Anti-tobacco groups say some countries need to move forward, rather than ban public smoking, and implement other provisions of the convention.
Sydney-based Dr Marie Asanta says a "smoking-free policy is to respect people's right to clean air." Is the head of "To look at the effects of reducing mortality (the effects of sanctions), this policy should be part of comprehensive tobacco control policies, including higher taxes, prominent image warnings on tobacco packs, tobacco advertising and promotion," she says. Restrictions, and public education should be part of it.
Although the number of smokers worldwide is slowly declining, the number is still 1.3 billion. The WHO says that "one out of every 10 cigarettes comes from the illicit tobacco trade, which is not regulated." Asanta also called for more vigilance. They have seen many cases where tobacco products are being promoted in popular children's apps and games.
Asanta says: "It is cruel for industry to sell a product that kills half of its customers prematurely. It is incomprehensible that the product is responsible for the deaths of non-smokers." ۔ "The tobacco industry needs to make up for the losses it has caused and continues to make."
No resentment from late husband
Let's go back to Hyderabad (India) where the story of Nalni started. Nalini is not thinking of a legal way. He continues to breathe through the hole in his throat. She can only eat soft food but she has learned to live a very independent life. She calls herself a cancer winner. It is as if they have learned to play the harp to prove their point. Nalini has done M.Phil in Botany and is fond of gardening.
Nalni's day is usually spent helping her two grandchildren study. Janani, who aspires to be a veterinary surgeon, often visits her to study science subjects. "I'm so proud of them," said Janani, chuckling happily. He is an inspiring figure to all. She is a good-natured grandmother. "
Nalini travels to schools, universities, community gatherings and many other places to inform people about the dangers and dangers of passive smoking through her story. Despite the pain she endured after losing her voice, Nalini has no regrets about her late husband. "I have never been angry with my husband," she says. There is no point in crying about it. This will not solve the problem. I accepted the truth and never felt ashamed to talk about my illness. "(Courtesy of BBC)
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