Should Cigarette Smoking be banned?
(Sundus Afzal Khan, Karachi)
Smoking cigarettes is one of the most increasing concerns in Pakistan as well as in the whole world. Smoking cigarettes can have many adverse effects on the body which can even lead to life-threatening complications. Tobacco consumption in Pakistan is very high not only in adults but more than 20 million Pakistani children also smoke.
The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination has estimated that 1200 children between 5 and 15 years of age start smoking every day in the country. The report also revealed that more than 100,000 people die every year in Pakistan from tobacco-related illnesses.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ), which is the national public health institute of the United States; smoking cigarettes increases the risk of dying from all the causes, not just those linked to tobacco use.
Smoking cigarettes affects the immune system and it increases the risk of many different cancers.
Those people who smoke have double the risk of gum disease. It also limits a person's ability to taste as well as to smell things properly. It can also strain the teeth yellow or brown. It can also contribute to hair loss and balding.
In addition to lung cancer, it also contributes to other forms of cancer. People who smoke are three times more likely to develop bladder cancer than people who do not. It can also double a person's risk of stomach cancer. It can also increase the risk of other cancers. According to the law, it prohibits the sale of smoked tobacco products within 50 meters of any school, University, or educational institutions as well as the sale of single cigarettes and small packets of cigarettes. The sales of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18. There are no restrictions on the sale of tobacco products sales via vending machines or the Internet.
The Government of Pakistan has added a health tax on cigarettes and now it will be 10 rupees more expensive.
Still, these laws are not going to have any positive impact on our health, unless smoking cigarette is completely banned.
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