Out of the world’s 7.5 billion people, 1.5 billion still smoke, despite the greatly increasing awareness of the evidence of how tobacco kills. That’s one in five humans who are knowingly increasing their chances of cancer, heart disease, stroke, COPD, infertility, and an early death. This World No Tobacco Day, the theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products” by the World Health Organization (WHO), underscores the urgent need to counter tobacco industry strategies. “Every smoker needs to understand that smoking is not just harmful for them, but it is the most preventable act of self-destruction — one that also silently harms everyone around them,” says Dr Vijay Kumar Chennamchetty, Senior Pulmonologist & Sleep Disorder Specialist, Apollo Health City.Smoking Kills — so why are people still doing it?According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills more than 7 million people every year, and about 1 million of those deaths are due to secondhand smoke exposure. The million-dollar question now becomes — if people do know that smoking is so harmful, why do they still do it? “There are quite a few reasons as to why smokers can’t quit as easily as it sounds, the main one being the psychology of smoking. Nicotine is not only highly addictive both physically and psychologically, but it also often provides stress relief to the smoker,” says Dr Vijay Kumar, adding, “It stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain, creating a brief sense of pleasure, calm, and alertness. This state of mind becomes very hard to give up, leading to a dependency and a toxic cycle which is very difficult to escape.” It is very important to realise that however nicotine may temporarily ease stress, in the long run it actually worsens anxiety and depression, he says. “Peer pressure and manipulation by the tobacco industry often lead to the young and vulnerable getting hooked on smoking, and once hooked, it becomes a routine and often an identity,” adds Dr Vijay.Kicking the habitQuitting or not shouldn’t be a question at all anymore; the only question should be how. “This is because tobacco is not just a lifestyle choice; it’s a global killer, and the damage caused by it is so vast and non-discriminatory that it spares no organ, no age group, and no corner of society,” explains Dr Vijay.Spotlight on lung healthSmoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas, kidney, and more. “It damages the lining of the arteries, causing blood clots and raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The list of pulmonary diseases caused by smoking is so long, it’s nearly impossible to name them all. It also lowers fertility in both men and women and raises the risk of pregnancy complications, birth defects, and stillbirths,” says Dr Vijay. Isn’t it heartbreaking that the baby suffers the consequences of the parents’ choices? The sooner, the betterQuiting smoking isn’t easy, but it is absolutely possible, and the most fascinating fact is that the human body starts healing within hours of quitting. “Within just 20 minutes, heart rate starts to normalise. In 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to safer levels. And over the coming weeks, lung function improves, and circulation gets better. After a year, the risk of heart disease is almost halved. And if you stay smoke-free for 15 years, your risk of death becomes almost the same as someone who never smoked,” says the pulmonologist & sleep disorder specialist. The sooner you quit, the faster your body recovers, so the only right time to start is now.
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