Ahmedabad: COVID-19 exposes smokers to a greater risk of severe symptoms and mortality than non-smokers, according to the World Health Organisation. As a result, it’s critical to persuade individuals to give up the habit, and there’s even a day set out to achieve just that.
The second Wednesday in March is designated as National No Smoking Day, and it is inspired by the United Kingdom’s National No Tobacco Day. This year No Smoking Day will be observed on March 09.
History
People initially discovered that smoking had become a frequent addiction problem in 1984, and that year was the first time that no smoking day was observed.
Previously, no smoking day was observed on March 1st, which also happened to be Ash Wednesday, but in recent years, it has been moved to March 2nd. The United Kingdom, as well as every other country on the planet, commemorates it every year.
Theme for 2022
Quitting smoking doesn’t have to be difficult is chosen as the topic for No Smoking Day 2022.
This topic will guarantee that individuals are educated and informed about the process of quitting smoking and that they are not overly anxious about their new adventure.
Significance
No Smoking Day is observed to assist smokers in quitting. The day is commemorated to raise public awareness about the dangers of smoking so that individuals may decide to stop it. According to studies, no smoking days have assisted one out of every ten people in quitting smoking in recent years.
Several initiatives are being organised to give free tools to anyone who wishes to begin their ‘no smoking’ journey. On this day, individuals also assist their loved ones in quitting smoking by offering their hands of support.
Risks of Tobacco
Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), Diabetes, Chronic Lung Disease, Stroke, Infertility, Tuberculosis (TB), Oral Cavity, and other diseases are all linked to smoking.
Males are diagnosed with 50% of malignancies, whereas females are diagnosed with 20% of cancers.
Smoking’s side effects include
- Irritation of the throat and cough
- Breath problems and foul-smelling clothing
- Skin discolouration and tooth discolouration
- Life-threatening Foetal abnormalities
- Lung cancer and heart disease
More serious illnesses, such as heart disease, bronchitis, pneumonia, stroke, and a variety of cancers, among which oral cancer is fairly frequent, may develop over time.
(Sunidhi Bhatt)