What is Tobacco?
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 in a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. It can be chewed (called smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco) or sniffed through the nose (called snuff).
Nicotine is one of the more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes and its smoke. It is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive or habit forming. Once we smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco, nicotine goes into our bloodstream, and our body wants more. The nicotine in tobacco makes it a drug. This means that when we use tobacco, it changes our body in some way. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it speeds up the nervous system, so we feel like we have more energy. It also makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure.
MEDICAL experts have termed cigarette and sheesha smoking a major cause of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which may become the third largest killer disease in the world by 2020.
The COPD has been spreading fast in our country as 50 per cent men and 11 per cent women have become addicted to sheesha smoking. While an ordinary cigarette contains 4,700 chemicals injurious to health, the sheesha smoking is far more dangerous due to its composition of tobacco, flavour and even drugs,” explained medical experts Dr Kamran Cheema, professor of pulomonology, Services Hospital and Dr Zafar Iqbal, professor of Pulmonology, Jinnah Hospital, during a discussion on “Chronic lungs compression - symptoms and prevention” held in connection with World COPD Day under the auspices of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) here at a local hotel of Lahore.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Kamran Cheema said that COPD was growing as a cause of death, whereas the death rate was decreasing in paralysis and heart diseases. He said that the causes of COPD included hereditary ailment, tobacco smoking,, smoke emitting from wood and dung burning, environmental pollution and childhood infection, adding that the symptoms of COPD were sputum, uneasy breathing and coughing. He said that the COPD patient lost his breath quickly during exercise and afterwards even lost his breath during inactivity, which then led to a sudden attack, which could be diagnosed through a specific test.
Prof Zafar Iqbal, while talking about the diagnosis and treatment of COPD, said that
He said that quitting smoking, using nicotine gum, blocked disease growth, improved quality of life, avoiding pollution, education, exercise, vaccination, medicines and nutritional support were the major interventions for prevention, control and treatment of this disease. He said that inhalers, nebulizers, oxygen as medicine and anti-biotics were used as treatment of COPD. He, however, stressed upon steps to prevent COPD because all efforts to treatment this disease were never enough to eradicate the disease.
Qari Fasihuddin stressed upon the public to adopt cleanliness to prevent not only COPD but many other diseases as well. He also urged the electronic and print media to give time and space to health issues to create awareness among public for prevention, control and treatment of diseases in
MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi, who hosted the seminar, said that the COPD was a very expensive diseases, which required a lot of money for its treatment. He stressed upon the public to adopt measures to prevent this disease.
Islamabad to be made tobacco free city
The deputy commissioner said that Islamabad Capital Administration, TCC and other concerned departments should make all out efforts to make Islamabad
The meeting was informed that fines of Rs250,000 have been imposed upon violation. Amir Ali directed concerned authorities to take strict action against violators, saying that negligence on the part of officials in enforcing anti tobacco laws would not be tolerated.
Passive Smoke
Choosing not to smoke usually is enough to prevent lung cancer—but not always. Studies have shown that smoke from the cigarettes of others contains carcinogens (car-SIN-o-jenz), cancer-causing chemicals that can affect people who are around smoke often. The secondhand smoke from cigarettes contains more tars and other chemicals than does the smoke inhaled by the smoker. Most cigarettes are filtered and remove at least some of the harmful chemicals. To protect yourself and others:
- Avoid places where people are smoking whenever possible.
- Encourage smokers to quit for their health and yours.
- Prevent children from regularly being exposed to smoke.
- Encourage restaurants, stores, and other social settings to provide nosmoking areas.
Source Links.
No comments:
Post a Comment