Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) observes World No Tobacco Day on 31 March. This day highlights the detrimental effects of tobacco on human beings, raises awareness on the harmful effects of second-hand smoking, and discourages the use of tobacco.
The theme for the year 2019 is “tobacco and lung health.” The theme seeks to highlight the negative impact of tobacco consumption on lung health, including the spread of diseases such as cancer to respiratory diseases. It also seeks to spread awareness of the importance of lungs in the well-being of people.
The World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by the member states of the WHO to foreground the impact that tobacco use can have on humans and to spread awareness on the preventable death and diseases that it causes.
What is tobacco?
Tobacco is a substance that contains around 5000 toxic items, the most detrimental among them being nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar.
Risks associated with tobacco consumption
The consumption of tobacco has been associated with a variety of physical health risks.
- Excessive tobacco consumption has been correlated with cancer of the pancreas, kidney, respiratory tract, nasal cavity, and oral cavity.
- Tobacco consumption constricts or ruptures blood vessels, thus causing a stroke.
- Excessive use of tobacco is also known to affect coronary vessels, leading to heart attacks.
- Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis are associated with tobacco use.
- Various gum infections and oral diseases can also be attributed to tobacco use.
Aren’t these reasons good enough for us to give up tobacco use and to encourage our near and dear ones to do the same?
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