| New Delhi: Today as the world celebrates No-Smoking | | | | person's health as smoking cigarettes, said Dr. |
| Day. Do you really think this day has any significance in | | | | Purushottam Lal, chairman and chief interventional |
| our lives or is it just a gimmick. The ban on smoking at | | | | cardiologist of Metro Hospitals and Heart Institute. |
| public places which was brought into effect by the | | | | Hookah was tremendously popular especially during |
| former Union Health Minister A Ramdoss is nothing but | | | | Mughal rule. |
| a sham. | | | | The hookah has since become less popular; however, |
| Rural India continues to be plagued by serious health | | | | it is once again garnering the attention of the masses, |
| problems due to lack of proper health facilities. We | | | | and cafés and restaurants that offer it as a |
| need to shift our focus to that area rather than chase | | | | consumable are popular. The use of hookahs from |
| people who are adults and are well aware about the | | | | ancient times in India was not only a custom, but a |
| harmful effects of smoking. As banning smoking has | | | | matter of prestige. Rich and landed classes would |
| given rise to another fad that is hooka bars which are | | | | smoke hookahs. |
| as lethal as smoking cigarettes. | | | | Tobacco is smoked in hookahs in many villages as per |
| Though, India may lose 2.5 million people an year by | | | | traditional customs. Smoking a tobacco-molasses |
| 2025, due to growing tobacco consumption that will | | | | shisha is now becoming popular amongst the youth in |
| prove to be a great hurdle to the country's economic | | | | India. There are several chain clubs, bars and coffee |
| growth, the irony remains that there are many whose | | | | shops in India offering a wider variety of mu‘assels, |
| survival depends on tobacco cultivation and sale. Many | | | | including non-tobacco versions. |
| woman in Madhya pradesh run their families solely by | | | | "The popularity of water pipes may be due in part to |
| making biddis. | | | | perceptions that they are safer than cigarettes," Dr. |
| Not only that numerous countries, including some of the | | | | Purushottam Lal, leading cardiologist and chairman of |
| poorest nations, such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia | | | | Metro Group of Hospitals said. A false belief among |
| and Tanzania now face the prospect of seeing millions | | | | users is that the smoke from hookah is less |
| of jobs lost and a huge decline in the export of | | | | dangerous than that of cigarettes. This is wrong! |
| tobacco. Tobacco cultivation is critical for the economy | | | | However since people think this is true, it gives a false |
| in these countries and one of the few agricultural | | | | sense of security and reduces concerns about true |
| activities to have remained buoyant during the recent | | | | health effects. |
| worldwide economic crisis. India is no exception to this | | | | According to studies, in a one-hour (1 hour) hookah |
| reality | | | | session, users consume around 100 to 200 times the |
| So rather focusing only on celebrating No-Smoking | | | | smoke and about 70 times the nicotine as they do in |
| Day once a year or banning smoking in public places | | | | one cigarette. Water pipe smokers are seven times (7 |
| we should first search for alternative source of income | | | | times) more likely than non-smokers to show signs of |
| for those involved in tobacco cultivation. We should | | | | gum disease and mouth cancer. Each hookah session |
| create awareness amongst the youth and children at | | | | (commonly referred to as "a sesh") consists of 50 to |
| a very early age so that they do not succumb to this | | | | 200 inhalations that each range from 0.15 to 0.50 liters |
| vice or seek pleasure by splurging in Hooka bars which | | | | of smoke. |
| are equally fatal. | | | | There are over 250 different kinds of Hookah flavors, |
| The increasing craze among the common people to | | | | and that number continues to rise. Hookah contains 69 |
| go in for Hookah smoking has become a cause of | | | | different carcinogens. |
| worry. People are of the belief that Hookah smoking is | | | | "However, water pipe smoke contains nicotine, carbon |
| less toxic, as compared to cigarette. However, the | | | | monoxide, carcinogens and may contain greater |
| reality is that it is equally lethal as the cigarette smoking. | | | | amounts of tar and heavy metals than cigarette |
| Infact, a single session of Hookah smoking, which | | | | smoke," Dr. Lal warned. |
| usually lasts about 30-60 minutes, causes equivalent | | | | On 31st May each year WHO celebrates World No |
| harm as a pack of cigarettes. | | | | Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated |
| Hookah cafes are popping up all over the country | | | | with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies |
| (even in the smallest cities), and teens seem to be | | | | to reduce consumption. Tobacco use is the second |
| drawn to their exotic charm - which makes the | | | | cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is |
| hookah trend that much more dangerous. It is | | | | currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults |
| estimated that one in four young adults have used a | | | | worldwide. |
| hookah - a water pipe used to inhale flavored tobacco. | | | | A 2005 study found that water pipe smokers were |
| In India many young people seem to believe that | | | | five times more likely than non-smokers to show signs |
| hookahs and other water pipes are safer than | | | | of gum disease. People who smoked water pipes had |
| cigarettes, but use of hookah is equally detrimental to a | | | | five times the risk of lung cancer as non-smokers. |