MULTAN: Pakistan is listed among the top fifteen countries in the world with the heavy burden of tobacco addiction, tobacco-related diseases, and subsequent deaths, informed to Dr. Ahmad Ijaz Masood, the president of Cancer Society Multan (CSM) and Oncology department head of Nishtar Medical Institutions on Monday in a statement. CSM is all set to observe World No Tobacco Day on May 31 to deliver the message the world needs food, not tobacco.
Dr. Ahmad Ijaz said that World Health Organization (WHO) has already shared its theme to observe World No Tobacco Day with the title “We need food not tobacco,” adding that hopefully, the theme of the World No Tobacco Day 2023 would play a significant role in advocacy and campaign of anti-tobacco motive.
He said that the CSM’s advice to the masses was to avoid all forms of tobacco addiction, including cigarette, cigar, pipe, Huqqa, and non-smoke addiction like Pan, Gutka, Chalia, Naswar, and other. He added that about 54 percent population in the country was addicted to all these bad habits adding that such an addition possibly led to deaths and fatal consequences.
Tobacco Addiction as Major Cause of Diseases, Deaths
He said that tobacco could kill about 50 percent of those addicted to it, along with several other life-threatening diseases, including cancer. “Tobacco smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals, and most of them cause cancer as smoking was the main factor behind cancer of mouth, throat, and lungs.
He informed that 30-40 percent of cancer cases in the country occurred due to smoking, adding that it also causes intestinal, stomach, kidney, food canal, prostate, bladder, pancreatic, and liver cancers. It could also be a reason behind cardiac arrest, asthma, and psychological complications, he said.
Weaker bones, stomach ulcers, dental problems, wrinkles on the face and body skin, and inadequate eyesight issues are also attributed to tobacco addiction, Dr Ijaz said, adding that tobacco addicts are 30-40 percent more prone to contracting diabetes.
On average, about 166,000 people die of tobacco addiction in Pakistan, including about 31000 inhaling smoke not by choice but from others being around as passive smokers.
Tobacco hurts the smoker and those around, particularly children who can suffer from Asthma, bronchitis, sinus infection and mental weakness due to passive smoking.
Medical experts believe taking one cigarette reduces the life of a human addict by eight minutes.
