It is with great pleasure and
concern for humanity that I write to bring to the knowledge of the entire
populace the ugly trend tobacco consumption has taken in recent times.
Since human existence,
institutions have come up with diverseways to address critical issues , which
are not only challenging to man, but also deprive of comfort and national
endowments. There is, therefore, a pertinent need to look critically into the
social, moral, economic, and medical effects of tobacco consumption in Nigeria.
Tobacco is a green, leafy plant that
is grown in warm climates. After it is picked, it is dried, ground up, and used
in different ways. It can be smoked as cigarette, or cigar. It can be chewed
(called smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco) or sniffed through the nose
(called snuff).
Nicotine is one of the four thousand
(4,000) chemicals in cigarette and its smoke. It is the chemical that makes
tobacco addictive or habit-forming. Among these toxic chemical are over 50
others that are carcinogens (cancer causing agents).
Prevalence of tobacco consumption is
reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which focuses on smoking (not
smokeless chewing Tobacco) due to reported data limitations. Smoking has,
therefore, been studied more extensively than any other form of consumption. In
the developing world, tobacco consumption was rising by 3.4% as at 2002. The
WHO, in 2004, projected 58.8 million deaths to occur globally, from which 5.4
million are tobacco-attributed and 4.9 million as of 2007. Presently, tobacco
kills nearly 6 million people each year with approximately 70% of the deaths
occurring in developing countries.
The health effects of smoking are
the circumstances, mechanisms, and factors of tobacco consumption in human
health. Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death
globally. Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the
heart, liver and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart
attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It also causes
peripheral vascular disease and hypertension smoking tobacco has also been
found to diminish taste and smell ability.
Taking a look at its reproductive
hazards on users, tobacco use is associated with miscarriages among pregnant
women who smoke, and contributes to a number of other threats to the health of
the foetus, such as premature births and low birth weight and increases by 1.4
to 3 times the chance for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). From the
paternal perspective, incident of impotence is approximately 85 percent higher
in male smokers compared to non-smoker, and is a key factor causing erectile
dysfunction.
Furthermore, tobacco consumption has
the potential of causing severe and chronic emotional disorders. A clinical
nuero-physiological analysis has shown how nicotine which makes tobacco a drug
into the bloodstream, and stimulates nervous system, making one feel one has
more energy. This physical mirage can really kill more than the nicotine
toxicity, as the affected user often perceives life-threatening strenuous tasks
as simple. The disgruntled victim is eventually left emotionally unstable and
traumatised.
In addition, there is a high rate of
destitution arising from tobacco consumption, especially in developing and
underdeveloped countries. Lastly, the picture or scenario created by the
addiction of tobacco is pathetic – this emanates from the regression in the
economic stratum of an addicted tobacco user, mostly found in low income
earners. This of course, can induce the affected individuals, especially the
youths into social menace like robbery and thefts.
For the avoidance of doubt, the
issue of addiction has been from Stone Age. I surmise the nearest future of
political governance with credibility and proficiency in eradicating the
improper and unhealthy use of tobacco in Nigeria. Addressing this indecorous
trend or act, starts from checkmating the commercial travesties, imposed by the
big large-scale manufacturers of tobacco. Some strategic measures to curbs this
problem may bring about an economic downturn – a downside signal in tobacco
marketing, or advertisement, but the incontrovertible truth remains that
tobacco merchandising has more demerits than merits.
Moreover, heavy tariffs and taxes
should be imposed on the manufacturers and the sellers, as this will definitely
affect the price tag system at the consumer level, thereby discouraging many
users. Health education institutions should be adequately equipped with
facilities to aid enlightenment campaign both in the public within institutions
of learning – making the entire populace, and the users understand the health
implications.
Rehabilitation exercise will also
help to a great extent to manage the colossal challenges faced by individuals
who are addicted. In fact, nearly 35 million people make a serious attempt to
quit each year. Unfortunately those who try to quit on their own relapse, often
within a week. Also, clinical psychological assistance can help an addicted
individual gradually cut down tobacco intake to minimal, and to zero level,
without having any withdrawal syndrome. Public smoking, when banned, will
tremendously help reduce the risk of diseases due to exposure or inhalation of
secondhand smoke by non-smokers..
Moreover, it is pertinent to
establish a Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Community Development Service
(CDS) group on Anti-Tobacco, where youth corps members will be trained to
educate the masses on the dangers inherent in Tobacco use. This CDS group, when
established, we hope will give rise to the establishment of Anti-Tobacco clubs
in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions that harbour the target
audience.
By
CYRIL IBORO
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