Smoking is injurious to health, this is one advisory that all of us may have read at several places, however, very few of us are actually able to quit despite all the warning signs. Ask a smoker and he or she will immediately give you hundreds of excuses as to why can they not quit. And we do believe them to the extent that it is not easy, however, how long will you keep using that excuse to continue smoking and not stop.
On No Smoking day, let us take a look at a few figures that may open your eyes for a while at least:
In India, at least 1 million people die due to the usage of tobacco, which constitutes to 9.5 percent of all deaths. Let’s face it, it does happen to be a big number. Out of the 1 million, 48 percent die due to cardiovascular diseases, 23 percent by chronic respiratory diseases, 14 percent by communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases, 10 percent by cancers and 5 percent due to other diseases.
Talking about cardiovascular diseases, 26 percent people die between the age of 30 and 44. In fact, CVD deaths caused by tobacco use are at a whopping 449 844 which means, 16% of all CVD deaths each year.
As on March 2018, 266.8 million tobacco users along with people exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The average Indian age for regular smoking is 18.7 years, and after all the evidence that exists, there are very few smokers who have been able to quit.
As compared to non smokers, people who smoke are at a two to fourfold higher risk of having coronary artery disease with 70 percent higher death rate from coronary artery disease. While 22.8 percent men either smoke or use a tobacco product, there are only 2.4% women.
No Smoking Day started in 1984 to bring awareness to the dangers of smoking and help people quit. It is celebrated each year to educate more people across the globe.
Image Credit: webmd.com
