Smoking, A Major Health Hazard

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DIE OF IT EVERY YEAR;

HOW THE TREND LOOKS LIKE IN TECHIMAN

According to World Health Organization (WHO) every 6.5 seconds people dies from the use of tobacco. Research has also established that people who starts smoking from their teens (as more than 70% ) and continue from two or more decades more will die 20 -25 years earlier than those who never light up. It is not just lung cancer or heart disease that causes serious health problems and deaths.

To protect the nation’s human resources from dwindling the Ghana health service in collaboration with its working partners are all doing what they could to inculcate into the youth group that constitute greater percentage of the populace to shun it entirely. It had not been easy following the reluctant attitude of the targeted public. When will the youth consider smoking as a dangerous phenomenon and abandoned it. It has been generally accepted that with proliferation of western culture smoking is gradually becoming a new form of fashion in most communities in Ghana.

One will be in a state of melancholy to see young boys/girls between the ages of 12 and 15 sandwiching themselves with all kinds of hard drugs with the common one being cigarette. Strangely enough young guys who don’t know how to smoke are mostly mocked by their peers. This according to experts has forced many young ones into smoking after thinking that without it they would not be welcomed in their respective societies.

Even though the Ghana health service and other health related NGOs are working around the clock to make smoking distasteful to children under school going but nothing good has come out of it.

One major worry is that very soon most teenagers will be drop out of school because they are made to perceive by their peers that cigarette and Indian hemp are very good stuffs that one could rely on. If this negative thinking continues like that these young ones will be educationally handicapped and if care is not taking could turn lunatic. Incidentally the adult groups who suppose to advise the young ones to stop it are deeply involved.

Another major area of concern is Secondhand Smoke (SS) which is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette or pipe, and the smoke exhaled by smokers. S.S is also called Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS). Again exposure to secondhand smoke is sometimes called involuntary or passive smoking. It is believe to contain more than 4,000 substances, several of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals. Further studies have concluded that exposure to S.S can cause lung cancer in adults who do not smoke.

Additionally it can also increase the risk of heart disease. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke because they are still developing physically, have higher breathing rates than adults, and have little control over their indoor environments. In the western countries children are normally exposed to high doses of S.S, such as those whose mothers smoke, run the greatest relative risk of experiencing damaging health effects. Unfortunately enough S.S many at times exposed children to asthma and sudden infant death syndrome. Infants and children younger than 6 who are regularly exposed to S.S are at increased risk of lower respiratory track infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Those children who regularly breathe S.S are at increased risk of being prone to middle ear infections. Objectively tobacco is a global epidemic that is increasingly ravaging countries and regions that can least afford its toll of disability, disease, lost productivity and death. The tobacco industry continues to put profits before life; its own expansion before the health of future generations; its own economic gain ahead of the sustainable development of struggling countries. Nowadays, tobacco companies continue to expand with new variants of the "light", "mild" and "low tar" cigarette campaigns are so popular in the 20th century. Nowadays, they reassure health concerned smokers by offering with their new products the illusion of safety.

They continue to take their old and new customers to more insidious levels of deception by promoting and selling new products disguised under healthier names, fruity flavours or more attractive-looking packaging. It was therefore not surprising at all when on 31st May, 2006 the W. H. O with support from its working partners organized an intentional awareness programme on the dangers associated with smoking under the theme ‘World No Tobacco Day (WNTD).

The aim of WNTD 2006 is to sensitize consumers and policy makers to the fact that all tobacco products are extremely harmful and that all tobacco products, not just manufactured cigarettes, should be strictly regulated. This theme relates in part to articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These articles address the issues of testing, regulation, and disclosure of ingredients in tobacco products and tobacco smoke, and misleading labeling on tobacco packaging.

The purpose of W.N. T. D 2006 is to encourage countries and governments to work towards strict regulation of tobacco products. This will be done by raising awareness about the existence of the wide variety of deadly tobacco products. Regulation should also help people get accurate information, remove the disguise and unveil the truth behind tobacco products – traditional, new, and future.

The question at stake is did the WNTD achieved its major objective after realizing that a number of people globally have not changed their smoking habit? Here in Ghana there has not been any serious change in the smoking habit. Based on the feet dragging attitude of the targeted group and strange diseases also continue to cripple those in the act. One could agree with me without skeptics that hair loss, cataract, wrinkling, hearing loss, skin cancer , tooth decay emphysema, osteoporosis , heart disease, and stomach ulcer are the common smoking ailments. The rest are discoloured fingers uterine cancer and miscarriage, deformed sperm, psoriasis, burger’s disease and cancer.

With the advent of booming commercial activities going on steadily in Ghana one cannot state emphatically that well known commercial centers in the country are safe from the smoking spree. Authorities in Accra, Kumasi, and other big cities are not comfortable at all with the rate at which the youth are chasing cigarette. The situation is so alarming that it has even affected delivery of services.

The alarming trend of smoking activities has found its way in the Techiman municipality. Here in Techiman it has become a great fashion among children between i2-15 years. This came to light following an intensive survey conducted by the writer of this piece. It would interest many to note that now children in the commercial capital no more smoke at secret places as they use to do in the past. With this both sexes are all victims. The question at stake is, what measures have authorities put in place to reverse the trend before it gets out of hand completely?

Statically the research proved that the targeted group of smokers in Techiman consumed up to 50,000 sticks of cigarette a week. According to those age between 18 years and above who interacted with this roving reporter under the basis of anonymity they used to light three sticks of cigarette a day, stating that their peak days are Fridays. With each pack containing 20 sticks one could imagine the future of the young boys and girls mostly students in first cycle institutions how their future would look like. One would be right to state emphatically that they have a bleak future if they continue like that.

To confirm the local facts gathered I wish to charge the doubting Thomas to try and visit the back of Techiman community center at the end of any entertainment package and also again spot de Ash night club. They should not be moved if they come across hundreds of cigarette pieces. Aside that they could visit any entertainment place of their choice at the weekends, the revelation will not be different at all.

It was found out that Rothmans , king size , bond , embassy, 555, Morris , gold seal , diplomat , tusker and London brown are the common brads of cigarette found in most retail outlets and whole sale shops in Techiman .