DEAR…, LEAVE IT
FOR MY SAKE
By Prof. (Dr.) Dewakar Goel
The moment we hear about smoking its literal meaning from the word smoke
is forgotten and the entire concentration goes on Cigarette smoking. Smoking
word has become as common as synonym of Cigarette smoking. Quite often we read
articles relating to this harmful habit in the newspapers and magazines. The
person who is habitual smoker is more anxious to go through the details of the
effects of this habit and takes extra pains to go through the articles
carefully. But the question is, does it has effect over his mind or he reads
while smoking. Now this article is coming your way which will be read by
smokers and non-smokers and I accept being a smoker that you will still enjoy
reading while smoking.
Like any other article on this issue it becomes obligatory on my part to
enlighten you about the most common facts underneath the ill-effects. Cigarette
smoking is a major factor leading to heart diseases as it has been known for
years. Lung Cancer and chronic lung disease are linked with cigarette smoking.
In the recent years people have
come to know that there is a direct link between cigarette smoking and diseases
of heart and blood vessels. Number of studies are conducted by way of
interview, surveys, medical reports etc. as we are following the advanced
countries for any research on this issue where it can be seen that nearly one
million Americans die of heart attack, stroke and related disorders. More over
nearly 40 million Americans are suffering with the disease relating to heart
and lung disorder in one form or the other. Cigarette smoking is considered to
be a factor in some three lakh twenty five thousand deaths each year. Therefore
it is evident that heart diseases and lung disorders have come up as the major
cause of untimely deaths. It is an undebated issue that cigarette smokers run
an extra risk of heart disease. The risk is even higher if the smokers also
have high blood pressure and or high levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Common men cannot fully understand everything as to how cigarette
smoking increases the risk of heart disease but he knows the effect of nicotine
and carbon monoxide on the heart and blood vessels. The tar and nicotine are
not the only substance found in tobacco smoke. Therefore as a result of
inhaling more deeply, a smoker is exposed to more harmful substances which may
increase the risk of disease.
Now the question comes as to why day by day the culture of cigarette
smoking is increasing in spite of knowing ill effects. In recent years surveys
conducted in metropolis have revealed that children in the school having
attained the age of 14 years are having the curiosity to smoke during lunch
hour, before going to school and after school hours and even girls are prone to
smoking.
Why it is so? There are number of questions coming to the mind of a
common man. Ban on smoking in the office, ban on advertisements in the media, prohibition
inside cinema halls, theatre and Govt. Offices added to it a statutory warning
printed on the cigarette packets. Have we achieved the desired object of
decreasing the increasing trend of this menace?
The cigarette smoking leads to other chronic habits like drug addiction
and alcoholism. The most affected people are the passive smokers. The study
reveals that a passive smoker is affected to the tune of 30% while in the
company of smokers.
I can recall the instances when my Secretary refused to sit in my office
while I was smoking giving dictation to her. Her request always had positive effect
on me for not smoking in her presence. Whereas even in the prohibited areas a
smoker does not hesitate smoking cigarette in the toilet etc.
Nationally and Internationally cigarette companies sponsor cricket
matches and other events which are glaring examples of supporting the fact that
there is a lack of will and general awareness for discarding this menace.
Let me touch the interesting aspect of enjoyment that generates in the
mind of a smoker. He has got number of pleas/excuses for affording this habit
and the most common are getting concentration, overcoming the stress, getting
peace of mind , feeling relax and removing tension and sometime he may say that
the enjoyment doubles when it is with drinking. It is not that the smokers do
not know the ill-effect of cigarette smoking but somehow the comparison of risk
of heart disease and enjoyment balance in their mind.
I have seen people coming to a Cardiologist for a treadmill test or a
stress test after smoking continuously 10 cigarettes with the promise that in
case something adverse comes out in the test he will leave smoking and this
will be the last packet in his life. He feels somewhat alleviated when he
declares himself as a chronic smoker and tells the Doctor with a great feeling
that he smokes 2-3 packets a day but what is the end result when the outcome of
stress test is normal. The smoking habit goes on. On the other hand, I have
seen that people leave the smoking very confidently giving credit to their will
power and with a pride say before the smokers that they use to smoke 4-5
packets a day which gives a very easy meaning that even after leaving the
cigarette smoking they throw a challenge before the smokers.
Now there is another class of people who left smoking but started the
habit of chewing tobacco with betel leaves or otherwise in the form of pan
masala and what not. They are really fooling themselves because in any case
earlier the nicotine was going through the passage of lung but now it is
getting absorbed through the intestine. In any case they are getting the
satisfaction enjoying a particular level of nicotine absorption in the blood
and harmful effects are seen.
My article will not be complete unless we touch upon the category of
people who says that they are just smoking one cigarette with morning tea one
after lunch and one after dinner and the plea taken is that they cannot have
proper stools unless they smoke in the morning and full satisfaction is not
there unless they smoke after lunch and dinner. These people are getting
satisfied because very less amount of nicotine is going into the blood stream
and a feeling is there that it is not going to harm them in the long run. They
are not worried about the passive smoking of the other family members in their
company.
About sixty to seventy percent smokers in our country are using beedi in
place of cigarette because it is cheap. It is said that smoke generated out of
beedi is more harmful than the smoke coming out of cigarette smoking. Since
burning of beedi leaf leads to more toxic substances. In villages it is more
common among women. Use of tobacco in chilam is another form of smoking. Well
hukka is considered less harmful because smoke passes through water medium.
Can we really go away with this harmful habit a million dollar question?
Govt. earns revenue in thousands of crores by way of duties and taxes every
year. Sports events gets sponsors and above all large number of people are
employed in beedi and cigarette industry. We should also not forget the
panwallas who are having thousands of rupees income per day in big cities that
too non taxable.
Govt. plea that they are increasing taxes and duties every year to make
cigarette costly to discourage the people but it is not a realistic approach
because within a span of last thirty years if the cost of cigarette has gone up
to 20 times the number of smokers have also increased to the same tune.
Another interesting aspect of this problem is that it is not only the
addiction of nicotine in men but in ladies in the higher strata of society,
they smoke to show as a sign of advancement. These ladies smoke in the parties,
discos and get together giving the meaning that they are different from other
ladies they are not aware that this can form a habit later on. Even the
pregnant ladies are sometimes ignorant about ill effects of smoking of the
child in womb.
Sometimes back I went to a Multinational Company’s office and while
sitting in the reception witnessed an interesting scene. A man who was waiting
there took out his cigarette packet and was about to light cigarette suddenly
he saw the sign of no smoking there and went to the receptionist for seeking
her permission as to whether he can smoke. The receptionist pointed her finger
to the No Smoking sign board and refused permission. Quite depressed the man
sat and started looking here and there suddenly he saw the ashtray full of
cigarette buts in it. Now feeling quite satisfied he went to the Receptionist
again and asked as to why he has been refused smoking when so many persons have
earlier smoked there as evident from the ashtray.The Receptionist smiled and
very politely replied that these cigarette buts are from the people who never
asked her permission and smoked here.
If I smoke, it never gives me right to advocate for it rather I take it
as a personal choice or decision. At times I become a beggar for two paisa when
I ask for a match stick for lighting my cigarette. Yes 50 match sticks cost one
rupee only and believe me that we smokers are best friends in trains, parties
and other public places when we look for each other.
What is the idea of writing all this when I can’t give a message to my
readers dear you can only leave it in one go and that requires will power or
your heart suffering with angina pain can compel you to do so when a single
puff will become a drop of light poison. Remember if you stop smoking
regardless of how long or how much you have smoked your risk of heart decease
will be reduced eventually. Ten years after quitting cigarette smoking, the
risk of death from heart decease is almost the same as if you had never smoked.
Therefore it is important to take a decision before the alarm is given by
Cardiologist on the findings of stress test.
Finally for my teenager friends they will leave smoking only when a beautiful
girl friend in love will say, dear…… leave it for my sake.
Brief profile of
Prof. (Dr.) Dewakar Goel
Prof. (Dr.) Dewakar Goel is a Science & Law Graduate with Masters in
Business Administration. Having specialized
in Labour Laws from Indian Law Institute, he did his Post Graduate Diploma in
Personnel Management & Industrial Relations and also in Training &
Development from ISTD. A Ph.D. in
Management under guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Sadhan Das Gupta, Calcutta University.
He acquired INDIA -ICAO Fellowship in the year 2010.
In the beginning of the career, he practiced as Advocate at Delhi High
Court. Dr. Goel has authored 12 books
which includes books on Management and Law published by eminent publishers. His
books have been translated into Bangla, Tamil, Urdu and other languages.
Having served in the private sector for over seven years as a hard core
HR Professional dealing with Personnel & Administration. He topped in the merit list for selection at
managerial position in the government sector and stepped up in the ladder of hierarchy while serving in Mumbai,
Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai. He rose to the level of HR head during last one
decade in the most prestigious schedule “A” PSE.
Dr. Goel is Doctoral
Research Supervisor in Business Management, Banasthali
University and also Advisory Board Member, Centre for Financial Planning
Training
& Research for Women, Banasthali University, NALSAR University of
Law, Hyderabad
American University of India, Kodaikanal and Pondicherry University. He
is also
Research examiner for Indian institute of public administration and
other reputed universities.
Adding feathers to his cap, he is HR Consultant with International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO), Montreal, Canada and Human Performance
Technologist of International Air Transport Association (IATA) Geneva,
Switzerland. He is a Visiting Faculty
and Advisor of highly regarded Management Institutes in India and abroad. He has addressed large number of National
& International Conferences as Chairperson and Key Note Speaker.
As multi-faceted personality, he has been profiled by print & media
in newspapers and TV channels for his poems, stories, articles and research
papers are published in national & international journals.
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