The Last Last Cigarette
‘’We sat there smoking cigarettes at 5 in the morning.” ― Charles Bukowski, The Pleasures of the Damned
If you smoke, go back and think, what was the reason you started smoking in the first place. Was it that you were in a party and you felt different because at that time you didn’t smoke and others did, so you just started smoking and people around you seemed more closer and it continued. Or was it the thought that a cigarette will help you with the stress or anxiety that you were feeling at that time.
Well, psychological reasons are different for different people.
There are a lot of misconceptions attached with smoking like it relieves stress for instance, and people are not well aware of them and most of them end up getting addicted to smoking and other kinds of substances as well. And adolescents are the most vulnerable population to initiate tobacco use. World Bank has reported that nearly 82,000–99,000 children and adolescents all over the world begin smoking every day. And India is the third largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world.
According to a study done in Chandigarh by PGIMER School of Public Health, the prevalence of ever smoking in this study was 26.0% (27.2% in males and 8.7% in females).
- The prevalence of smoking in males is much higher as compared with prevalence of smoking among the females.
- It was found that 47.7% smokers’ parents were also smokers.
- It was noted that 97% of the young smokers had one or more smoker friends as compared with 49% of nonsmokers. So having friends who smoked substantially increased the likelihood of being a smoker.
- In the present study that 36.5% respondents were using other tobacco products.
Among other determinants the main reason for initiating smoking according to smokers was friend’s influence (81.5%) followed by curiosity (64.5%), and tension (33%). Similar reasons were told by nonsmokers also. The common reason for smoking was tension according to smokers (73.1%) and nonsmokers (65.9%). The most common reason for the development of an urge for smoking among youth was tension (68.0%), which was highest in the urban area (73.6%), followed by the slum area (69.6%), and the rural area (55.2%). The second most common reason for this was social gathering (34.4%) followed by work environment (29.8%).
Another study says poor school performance, truancy, low aspiration for future success, and school dropouts have been found to be associated with smoking at an early age. Also, children and adolescents with anxiety and depression are likely to use tobacco and other drugs, as these have anxiety relieving and mood altering properties. Furthermore, such children may socially be anxious and feel isolated in a company of peer groups. Initiation of smoking helps them to identify with the group and hence reduces social anxiety. One study says Children with low self-esteem are likely to be vulnerable to drug use including the tobacco. As smoking behaviour is associated with maturity and adulthood, tobacco use may serve to promote self-esteem.
Other than above determinants promotion by tobacco companies effectively target the young people with images of smokers as trendy, sporty and successful and easy availability of tobacco products further paves the way.
Smoking is not just casual. Tobacco use is the most important identified cause of cancer and is responsible for about 50% of cancers in men and about 20% of cancers in women. At present, about 4 million people die of tobacco-related diseases every year. World Health Organization predicts that unless there is a dramatic change in the present trends of tobacco use, it will be killing 8.4 million people a year by late 2020 and hence will become the single largest health problem in the world.
All this is important because tobacco use is one of the preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. So just be smart and don’t start.
“The only safer cigarette is your last one.’’ — Duane Alan Hahn
