By Md. Zillur Rahaman

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world on May 31 every year. The day is observed to encourage abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption for 24 hours.

The day also aims to draw attention to the prevalence of tobacco use and its negative impact on public health. World No Tobacco Day was initiated in 1987 by member states of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the past, the day has been celebrated worldwide with both enthusiasm and resistance from governments, public health organizations, smokers, manufacturers and the tobacco industry.

Everyone knows that smoking causes serious damage to public health. But still knowingly where people smoke. According to a study, children and teenagers are now one in ten smokers. Not only smoking, they also indulge in various types of addiction and any addiction starts with smoking. As their bodies are being damaged, so are the bodies of other people in the environment.

According to a report by the WHO, the number of smokers worldwide was 1.32 billion in 2018. Two years later, in 2020, the number dropped to 1.3 billion.

At the rate at which this number is decreasing, the number of smokers in the world is expected to drop to 1.27 billion by 2025. But the cause of concern is that smoking kills more than 80 million people worldwide every year and 68 million of them died directly due to smoking.

The remaining 12 million died due to exposure to smokers. According to the data, about 50 million people in the world quit smoking within seven years. The WHO is quite optimistic that the number of smokers has decreased so much in view of the rate at which the population is growing all over the world.

The number of smokers is decreasing every year - this is very encouraging and it is also said that 4 out of 5 teenagers who started smoking in 2000 aged 15-16 or 18-19 will quit the habit by 2025, will come out.

The harm or health hazard of tobacco or tobacco products is very clear to everyone. Various measures are being taken to reduce the production, marketing and consumption of tobacco all over the world.

Tobacco production and consumption have declined significantly in many countries, but surprisingly, the opposite is happening in Bangladesh. The production, marketing and consumption of tobacco and tobacco products is increasing at an alarming rate due to the aggressive policies and plans of tobacco traders.

As a result of this, various health problems related to tobacco including cancer are increasing, as well as the fertility of the land, reduction of cropland, crop production and the environment are having a serious impact. Due to the aggressive policies and plans of the tobacco traders, land that was previously used for other crops is gradually being converted to tobacco.

In some areas of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban, more than 80 percent of the land is under tobacco cultivation. Not only on private land, but also on private land, extensive tobacco cultivation is taking place, which is a serious threat to public health and environment.

Every packet of cigarettes also has written 'Smoking is injurious to health', 'Smoking causes respiratory damage', 'Smoking increases the risk of death', 'Smoking causes heart disease', 'Smoking increases the risk of cancer', despite these warnings, people are not quitting smoking. Many places are marked as 'Smoking Free Area' or smoking is prohibited here. But many people deliberately smoke anywhere even after noticing it. If someone protests this, it seems as if the protester is the real culprit!

Smoking in public is very common in our country. Like many other countries in the world, Bangladesh has enacted laws to ban smoking in public. But most of them do not follow this law. Non-smokers and children are facing losses. However, children are the most harmed by public smoking. Meanwhile, as a result of laws banning public smoking, the rate of "premature" births in Europe and North America has fallen by almost 10 percent, the BBC reported, citing a study.

Smoking is prohibited by law in public, especially public transport, bars, restaurants and workplaces. A study was done on the effect of anti-smoking laws in different states on the health of children living in the respective areas.

The researchers said that as a result of this law, the tendency of the elderly to continue smoking has already decreased. Nowadays even children are getting involved in smoking. After leaving the school, he buys bidis or cigarettes from the shop and walks home. They smoke thinking that no one will say anything outside the school. As a result, non-smoking students are also adversely affected.

Smoking kills people. According to a report published by the WHO, smoking causes more deaths worldwide than any other disease. Due to smoking, long-term diseases such as increase in heat, inflammation, burning etc. are seen in the body. Smoking weakens the blood vessels and sometimes stops his blood circulation. Smokers develop cancer in lungs, bladder, lips, mouth, tongue and throat, kidney etc. Smoking impairs memory and weakens morale. Weakens the senses. In particular, the ability to smell and taste is lost.

As a result of smoking, people become weak and often suffer from heart attacks. Smokers always feel weak and panicky. The arteries connected to the heart are more likely to become blocked. There is even a possibility of suffering from chest disorders. Smoking causes high blood pressure and causes loss of sex drive. It also causes loss of digestion, loss of stamina and a loose body, causes stomach ulcers and is likely to dry out the liver. Smoking causes tuberculosis of the bladder and poisoning of the urine.

Smoking pollutes the pure environment. As a result of this, the wife and family, fellow travelers, friends and people nearby suffer. Smoking openly in buses, trains and other vehicles causes many fellow passengers to suffer in silence and curse the smoker in their hearts. Others protested and fell into embarrassment. Many protested and were humiliated. It should be known that according to medical science, the smoker's neighbor is physically affected as much as the smoker.

A joint research report titled 'Bangladesh facing growing economic losses due to tobacco-related diseases and premature deaths' by Bangladesh Cancer Society and Dhaka University said that about 7 million people in the country aged 30 years and above are affected by various diseases related to tobacco, out of these, 1.5 million people have a direct relationship with tobacco use. More than 4.35 lakh children aged 15 years and below are suffering from tobacco-related diseases.

More than 61 thousand (14 percent) of these children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home and 1.25 lakh people die annually due to tobacco use and secondhand smoke. That is about 14 percent of all deaths nationally. In addition, second-hand smoke causes an annual expenditure of Tk 4,130 crore. It also includes private and public expenditure on health care, productivity loss due to disability/illness and productivity loss due to premature death.

According to the Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing, the existing tobacco control law was last amended in 2015. The scenario has changed recently. Many have started smoking again in public places. To reduce it, the tax rate needs to be increased. Therefore, the amendment of the law is necessary. About 153 Members of Parliament have already signed the anti-tobacco bill. The government has expressed its determination to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.

But nowadays various measures are being taken to prevent smoking. For example, advertising on TV, putting up anti-smoking posters in various places, creating various organizations for anti-smoking etc. Many families of smokers know this and many families do not.

Those whose families do not know about it do not even try to know what their children are doing outside. As a result they are getting more discounts. Poisoning by smoking, it is seriously harmful to both life and public health. A non-smoker next to a smoker is at equal risk and harm. Realizing this, first of all we have to change our awareness and habits to prevent smoking. Let us all quit smoking, live a risk free life, say no to smoking.

The writer is a banker and columnist