On the eve of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on 31May, if you check the number of people losing their lives due to this menace, the figure seems to be alarming. As per the WHO report, more than 6 million people die the world over consuming tobacco in various ways, with India having the maximum number of victims with around 1 million people losing their lives. A research states, there are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which around 50 are cancerous. A study revealed that chewing tobacco poses a bigger threat than smoking while another study revealed that an estimated 10 percent of tobacco-related deaths are caused by passive smoking. As per the WHO report, every year 6 lakh out of 60 lakh deaths due to tobacco are because of second-hand smoke. Banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is one of the key ways to protect youngsters from smoking as well as reducing tobacco consumption.
MohdZiyaullah Khan
Nagpur, MS