Is Smoking Injurious to Health?

In all cigarette packets and advertisements there is the statutory warning, ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’. In spite of this warning billions of people smoke cigarettes and bidi daily. It has been reported that about 5.4 trillion cigarettes are produced annually in the world. This is equivalent to 1000 cigarettes to each person living in the globe. In India alone 90 billion cigarettes and 550 billion bidis are used annually. The bidis are reported to be more harmful than the cigarettes.

Do you know what is meant by ‘statutory warning’? It is the warning expressly enacted by the legislature to overrule the customary practices. Many people, both young and old, smoke cigarettes without knowing the harmfulness of smoking. It has become a fashion of the day. So this warning is written in cigarette packets to warn the smokers to understand the harmfulness of smoking. What are the ways by which smoking is injurious to health?

It produces cancer: The tobacco of the cigarettes contains about 4000 compounds. Out of these compounds are carcinogenic (cancer producing compounds) and toxic agents. Nitrosamines and same aromatic hydrocarbons, present in cigarettes, are carcinogenic (cancer producing) compounds. It has been reported that ninety percent of patients dying of cancer are smokers. The death rate due to cancer is thousand times greater for a smoker than a non-smoker. So those who smoke one or two packs of cigarettes a day have all the possibility of getting mouth, throat, lung or liver cancer.

It produces heart attacks: The American Health Foundation, carried out a study on the cholesterol level of smokers. The study involving 50,000 people revealed that a person’s cholesterol level is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. One cigarette is found to increase the cholesterol level by 0.5 point. If one takes 30 cigarettes per day then the cholesterol level increases by 15 points.

The risk of heart attack arises when the cholesterol level increases above 240 points. When the smoking is stopped then the cholesterol level is found to decrease in smokers. Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by fifty percent. It has been reported now that the nicotine present in tobacco causes narrowing of blood vessels leading to heart attack.

High mortality rate: Dr S D Chitu of Tobacco Addiction Survey reported that every day 2740 people die of tobacco poisoning in India. He also reported that in the world 10 million premature deaths occur in the age group of 35 to 55 years every year due to the ill effects of tobacco. As per the study carried out by the American Cancer Society it is expected that the cigarette deaths in the industrial world is about 21 million in the early nineties.

Other side effects: World Health Organisation reported that tobacco is the greatest villain in the history of mankind accounting for millions of avoidable deaths and 32 million disease in the world. Most smokers suffer from chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema. Recent studies have confirmed that smoking damages the blood vessels and lungs. The carbon-monoxide in cigarette is a poisonous gas. It can hinder the red cells in blood carrying oxygen to the cells, which will force the heart to work harder to circulate more blood. Indole and carbozole present in cigarettes are proved to be tumor accelerators.

A survey of the opinions of 77 scientists was reported in the American Journal of Public Health. Ninety percent of the scientists said that most deaths due to lung cancer were caused by smoking and 98% of them agreed that smoking is addictive. Can a reasonable man practise smoking even after knowing all these harmful and addictive nature of smoking.

Smoking is spending money on cigarettes to entertain avoidable diseases and unnecessary heart-breaks. It is like spending money on habits, which will not satisfy a person. The Bible says about this habit, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance” is 55:2.

The advertisement for cigarette says that, it is for men of action and satisfaction. It activates a person temporarily due to the effect of nicotine. But it will never give lasting satisfaction and peace. “There is no peace”, says the Lord, “for the wicked” Is 48:22. True satisfaction is available only in Christ Jesus “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27.