|| World No Tobacco Day || Day 7 on Page 5

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panchan

@panchan

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 9 years ago

#31

Numerous attempts have been made to reduce and finally stop the use of tobacco. A few of them include increased taxation, restrictions on advertising propaganda and smoke bans in public places.

A smoke ban was first issued in 1975 by the US state of Minnesota by the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act which issued a ban on smoking in most public spaces. The city of Aspen in Colorado became the first state to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.

The Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1971 prohibits the broadcasting of advertisements promoting tobacco products through the television and radio in the US.

Many countries also enforce a smoking age, below which no person would be sold a tobacco product. In most countries the smoking age ranges from sixteen to nineteen. However, these restrictions are not enforced strictly in many countries.

World No Tobacco Day was originally an initiative from the World Health Organization. 7^th April was officially designated as the No Tobacco Day when the idea was initially proposed by the World Health Organization.

In 1987, the WHO called for a twenty-four hours' abstinence from tobacco on 7^th April 1988. The first World No Tobacco Day was observed on 31^stMay, 1988. Since then this day has been observed every year by the WHO which selects a different anti-Tobacco theme to concentrate on for the year.

Every year the WHO appeals to the people across the globe asking them to highlight the chosen theme in their demonstrations against tobacco on the way to a healthy tobacco-free world. Their propaganda also includes processions, public demonstrations.

Let us take a look at the WHO themes for WNTD for the last ten years.

Aim: To encourage countries to exercise "strict regulation" on various tobacco products.

Aim: To spread awareness about the fact that tobacco is the second major cause of deaths in the modern world.

Aim: To "catch you young" i.e. to prevent youth and adolescent smoking.

Aim: To spread awareness about the toxic nature of tobacco through pictorial depiction on product packages.

Aim: To protect girls and women from the smoking epidemic' that has spread across the globe.

Aim: To popularize the WHO treaty signed on 21^st May, 2003. The treaty states that its purpose is "to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke."

Aim: To control the tobacco industry's efforts to undermine the anti-tobacco movements.

Aim: To reduce all kind of publicity and advertising on the part of the tobacco manufacturing industries.

Aim: To reduce the sale of tobacco products by increasing the cost of purchase.

Aim: To cut down on sales of illegal tobacco that is twice as harmful and also to block a major portion of money earned by tobacco industries.

Aim: To reduce the appeal of tobacco products by the use of plain outer covers with one standard colour sans any brand promotion.

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This theme-based observation of the day by the WHO over the years has been extremely precious in terms of spreading awareness about the toxic nature of tobacco.

O_o Did You Know? o_O

One of the earliest smoke bans was a 1575 Roman Catholic Church Regulation which forbade the use of tobacco in any church in Mexico.
On 12th July 1999, a division bench of the Kerala High Court banned smoking in public, declaring it to be unconstitutional and violative of basic human rights under Article 21 on the Indian Constitution.
Chandigarh became the first smoke free city in India while Kerala became the first completely smoke-free state in the world.

Credits:
Graphics: panchan
Write-up: Radhikerani

Quote

proteeti

@sambhavami

Stunner

+ 12

Posted: 9 years ago

#32

We find No Smoking' hoardings in most places. Almost every person you meet would've advised you to quit smoking, except your smoking buddies. You someday must have googled the'Cons of smoking', as to how adversely it will affect you. After reading about all the horrendous stuff, you must have went on to searching the 'Pros of smoking' to find if there are any. And you must have found none. Even after every hoarding, every statement on the internet, even your loved ones shout out loud - Quit smoking', the question is Why haven't you quit yet?'.

We often wonder, why don't people just quit smoking! is it such a challenge? Is it that addictive? Well the answer is 'yes'. 'For people who have smoked for a long time, nicotine can be quite addictive,' says Brian Jones, counselor at charity Quit'. In fact, while No Tobacco Day helps 250,000 people attempt to quit each year, only 6,000 of these stop smoking permanently. However many people take several attempts to quit. So it's important to keep trying even if one has been unsuccessful before.

Once you quit, there will be many benefits for sure, but you will face certain hurdles too! That's why quitting smoking is difficult they say, because your body starts craving for it once it's given on a regular basis. Here's what will happen to you.

T h e F i r s t F e w H o u r s

Within just twenty minutes, you will have your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. After approximately eight hours, the carbon monoxide and nicotine in your blood will have halved and oxygen would have returned to healthy levels. However, making sure you choose the right time to quit is gravely important. It is better you choose a stress-free period to quit smoking. If you are amidst a stressful period, you might just end up ruining your work, or you might just switch back to smoking. A stress free period will make the first few hours to no smoke a little more bearable.

T h e F i r s t D a y

Within about 24 hours, carbon monoxide which hinders blood from bringing oxygen to your body will have been removed from your body. The smoking debris and mucous will slowly start to clear from your lungs, making breathing easier. But with this, the first days can be difficult, as your body has to adjust to being nicotine-free. To avoid feeling the need to smoke, you can do something to keep you occupied. If you usually take a cigarette break, you can take a walk or eat, or doing anything that keeps you away from the thought. This is better than sitting there at your desk and struggling with the cravings.

T h e F i r s t W e e k

After two days, there is no nicotine left in your body, and your senses will have started to improve. After three days, you will start to feel more energized and breathing will become easier. Getting your family support, staying with people who can support you in the first few weeks can be really helpful.

T h r e e t o F i v e M o n t h s

Within three months, your blood circulation will have improved, and your coughs or wheezing would have cleared up. Also as compared to when you were smoking your lung function must have improved by around 10 percent. Generally around this time, you will tend to think you're doing well and you can have just one. What you need to do at this time is give a thought to why you had quit in the first place. Instead of having a cigarette find another outlet- take a short walk or listen to music. Gradually, you will get over this phase.

F i v e t o T e n Y e a r s

After several years, your risk of long-term disease begins to fall. After five years, the possibility of a heart attack is roughly half that of someone who is still smoking, and after about ten years free from smoking, your heart attack risk is that of a non-smoker, while your risk of lung cancer has been halved. Long-term, the important thing is to adopt a generally healthier lifestyle approach, empowering yourself by increasing your exercise and improving your diet.