Tobacco kills people, as well as this earth. Research say, Tobacco is a disease, disability and death. As per the research of Mary Sha, Richard Michell and Danny Darling of Bristol, by consuming each cigarette, your life is cut short by 11 mts. Unless this world takes, a very strong, relief work by 2030, 8 million people are going to die, due to Tobacco. Should we be proud to note that, India ranks third in world, in both production and consumption of tobacco? We have 27.5 crore tobacco consumers in India.
As per one observation in 2005, Kolkatta had 22,000 lung cancer patents and 18,000 head and throat cancer patients, and every year this number is increased by 6,000 patients. cancer expert Dr. Goutham Mukhopadhyaya declares that, 90% of oral cancer is due to Tobacco. Pankaj Trivedi head and throat Surgeon of Tata Memorial center Mumbai ridicules that, tobacco is the only one consumer good which has no good results. Brook shield exclaims “Tobacco kills. If you die, an invaluable life is lost. David Bairne warns us “real face of Tobacco is disease, death and scare; and it is not alluring or resplendent as announced by advertisements.
In 2010, one million died due to smoking. As per one estimate, 23.7% of men and 5.7% of women die, due to diseases connected with Tobacco. Smoking is the murderer of 90% of men and 80% of women through lungs cancer. Even if people don’t smoke, 6 million die, every year through passive smoking. You might have never touched beedi or cigarette. But as passive smokers, you are forced to inhail the smoke emission from smokers. As per one study, one out of ten die every year due to these habits.
Today there are 13 crore tobacco consumers in this world. If and only if, we can reduce the tobacco consumption from 20% to 25% by 2020, we can save 100 million would be dieing people. During these 55 years, whenever I have questioned, cross section of thousands of people, the reasons they gave, why they use Tobacco are listed as follows. Pressure management, social courtesy or as a mark of prestige and company, improvement of mood, to escape from facing problems, deteriorating health, worsening family relationships and quarrel, as a mark of manlihood, to swim in imaginary world, to pass time, to ease the bowel, to increase the body health.
The people who have quitted smoking, have experienced following facts. Increase in their weight, decreased ability in management of stress and influence of Negative feelings, Social aloofness, far away from happiness. These experiences may be real or felt. Third person only can recognize, the difference in life of people who have left smoking, and those who have continued smoking, in terms of the general mood, long quality life, satisfaction in life, grasping position of health. Every year, world no Tobacco day is being celebrated on may 31. The purpose is to educate people, on dirty effects of Tobacco and motivate them to move away from Tobacco. On this day every year doctors, hospitals, Health Department of Government, N.G.Os, Teachers, students, parents, institutions which train people to leave Tobacco habits, all join their hands in this movement.
When I was at A.I.R. Bhadravati, I had written and directed the musical feature ‘Hello Mrutyu (Hello death) and enacted role of Yama in this radio broadcast. Putta a rural youth, a simple poor student, comes to the city and joins college. Gradually he is motivated and tempted by his friends, to become slave of smoking, drinking and drugs. When his habits drag him towards death, the God of death comes there, analyses the facts and convinces Putta that, his life or death is driven by his own lifestyle and habits. Due to his dirty habits and addiction, Putta is driven fast towards his death. Every year on 31st may, I have presented features, through radio, based on interviews with parents, teachers, women, doctors, Tobacco patients.
When I was at A.I.R Raichur, I have broadcast through Radio and presented on stage, my own written plays, such as Hello death, Adhuinka Asuraru (Modern Demons), Chatadinda Chattakke (From addiction to death). There was a character of one youth, who used to eat Gutka, every morning, even before washing his teeth and face. I had shown, Dhoomrasura (Demon of smoke), Pishachi (Ghost), Surasura (Demon of liquor), Tambakasura (Demon of Tobacco) Ghutkasura (Demon of Ghutka), all tempting youth to consume Beedi, Cigarette, Alcohol and Drugs. A teacher, an ideal youth and a doctor convinces each and every youth, to come away from these addictions, becoming strong minded.
When I was AIR Mysore, I had broadcast experiences of Tobacco consumers, people who had left Tobacco, N.G.Os and Rural women, in educating general public. In 2011 I had gone to villages of Chamarajanagar and recorded strong voices of women, who had organized movements, against smoking and drinking. They had taken public oath, and motivated their husbands, brothers and next door persons, to leave these dirty habits. When silent women opened their voices and the clutches of their united strong voice, became strong, many people left their vices.
Films and smoking:
It has been observed that, youth get tempted and attracted to smoking, through witnessing films. When they see their models, the heroes and heroines showing tobacco on their lips or in their hands, on and off screen and in advertisements, fans want to imitate their models. Based on surveys of cross section of youth, it is very clear that, imitating film and sports popular personalities, is the ideal goal of life for their fans.
A report released in 2012 by surgeon general says, 6.4 million children have been addicted to smoking, influenced by films. In this, 2 million children are going to be affected by tobacco related diseases, and they are cutting down their life age and going to face their pre – death age.
In Bollywood films, 76% highlight tobacco and 72% show cigarettes. Before 1990 decade, cigarettes were on the lips of villains on screen. But from 2002, even heroes, character artists are smoking and chewing tobacco in 53% of films.
If you consider the popularity and magnitude, it has got tremendous influence on lakhs of fans, especially youth. In films, to highlight manliness of hero, or worst and lowest position of heroine, smoking is highlighted.
Greatness of Dr.Rajkumar:
Dr.Raj knew very well that, has roles in films and his real life will always influence people and youth. That is why, he never acted in film scenes, which required smoking or drinking. In real life, in his home, on shooting sets, in public functions, he never smoked or drinked. Even he never took part in advertisements.
Influence of Advertisements:
In developing countries including India, Tobacco companies, cigarette companies, spend lakhs of rupees, throw flood of advertisements, sponsor sports and other programmes to advertise Tobacco. Small kids and youth get attracted and dragged into Tobacco addiction. As per the report from word bank, 82,000 to 99,000 children and youth smoke daily. Market Techniques, films, internet, bill boards, advertisements in newspapers, attract more people towards Tobacco consumption.
Earth Free from Tobacco Waste:
Yogi hale Hendlin of centre for Tobacco control, research and education, warns us, to clearly note that, tobacco kills People, as well as Earth. There is no social and nutrition purpose. We must think, worry and do some research about growing Tobacco, production, distribution, Transport and waste brought along with Tobacco and their effects or environment. Tobacco industry, which is not profitable, transfers the higher cost, on people, earth and its creatures, and next generations. Due to more labour intensive methods, utilization of water and power, chemical pollution, poisonous waste, this industry transfers it’s expenditure on citizens, who give indirect tax.
To grow tobacco, 5% of forest is destroyed. A lot of wood is required to dry tobacco leaves. Labourers who pluck tobacco leaves, get green leaf disease (Nicotine poison). The system of multi crop and alternate crop cultivation is stopped. Hence soil is spoilt. Have you understood all these results, are the outcome of tobacco kingdom!?. In the production stage, the diastral effect on environment, can’t be calculated, due to use of water, power and chemicals. A lot of fossil oil is used for transport of chemicals to the firm, transport of leaves to production plants, transport of wood to production centers, transport to other counters for the process and utilization.
After smoking when people throw waste potion of the cigarette, there is a plastic called cellulose acetate in the thick ends of thrown cigarettes. Storage of Nicotine and other poisons in these portions, kill thousands of birds and a few children. For packing also, a lot of material is required.
Effect of tobacco on health:
All products utilizing tobacco, contain more Nicotine, which is harmful and death inducing. This habit kills brain. The brains of tobacco users, send the false signal that, Nicotine is absolutely required, like food and fluids. Tobacco demon is sure to throw on you, various cancers, such as mouth, tongue, throat and lungs cancers. Heart attack, stroke, acute heart diseases and epilepsy. People smoke tobacco in the form of beedi, cigarette, cigar, pipe and chiroot; eat tobacco in the form of tobacco powder, chewing tobacco, khaini and ghutka and inhail snuff.
Illegal tobacco Business:
One in ten cigarette and many tobacco produces, have no legal sanction. Through illegal and immoral sales of these products, the whole world is trembling in the fields of health, law, economics, administration and corruption. If tobacco industry and crime lobbying groups, are being benefited from the immoral sale, smuggling and anti legal activities, public are suffering, problems of health and security. To wipe out this, a very strong immediate action is required. An organised and very well co-ordinated, combined effort is required from public, media, and people in the fields of education and health.
Legal action:
Through the 2005 act, union ministry of health and family welfare, has prohibited advertisements on cigarettes, and banned smoking in public. It is a punishable offence. If the visual scene require smoking and drinking, govt has passed a rule of showing warning sentences below the frames, such as, drinking Alcohol and smoking are injurious to health. Tobacco advertisements cannot appear in radio and T.V.
Latest news:
Union finance minister proposes to put more tax on tobacco and pan masala, in the new G.S.T. 44.8% will be the total tax on pan masala. 5% cess is there on cigarettes. A special tax will be there on every thousand cigarettes, in the range of 1591 to 4170. Total G.S.T. on tobacco and its products will be 29.4%. Cess is there to the tune of 45.8% to 85.12%. 109.2% tax is there on mixture used in pipe and cigarettes.
Efforts to be taken to control tobacco consumption:
To reduce very bad consequences of tobacco consumption, following steps may be taken. Smoking can be got relieved from addicted, through combined support of sports, entertaining centres, people and family programmes, community medical centre, and health centers. Through education to quit tobacco, movement, market techniques, motivating through highlighting bad sides of tobacco, strong leadership, to take a strong action on illegal tobacco sale.
Dear Young Friends:
Kindly pay attention to my sincere appeal. You might be thinking that youthfullness is mine, money is mine, derived thrill and enjoyment are mine. May I request you to equally enjoy, disease, cancer or any other side effect in the save way. You have to eat your own act. Why you pull us towards pain, disease from your smoke?. If at all you get sin consciousness by reading this article, kindly stop, this tobacco addiction immediately.
N.V.Ramesh, Mysuru.
Mob: 98455 65238
