World No Tobacco Day 31st May 2020- Dr. K. S. Phaneendra Kumar, Consultant Pulmonologist, KIMS ICON Hospital, Vizag

New Delhi, May 30, 2020: Every year on 31st may WHO celebrates as WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY. To spread awareness on harmful effects of tobacco.

In the present scenario of COVID 19, smokers are more prone to develop serious complications compared to non smokers.

Smoking is more prevalent in certain communities like working farmers, village dwellers which is reflected in the disease profiles of people hailing from rural areas of visakhapatnam and vijianagaram.

Around 120 million adult males are active Tobacco addicts in India, and among them 70% use smokeless tobacco.

Tobacco is the main cause of Lung cancer, COPD, Heart diseases, Brain stroke and many other cancers like skin, pancreatic, stomach.

Tobacco smoke has over 7000 chemical of which about 100 are proved carcinogenic.

Non smoke tobacco like pan, gutka, jarda is spreading widely which mainly cause oral cancers.

Government has taken actions like banning smoking in public places, ban on advertising tobacco products, pictoral display of images of cancer on cigarette packs and special ads.

It’s never too late to quit smoking.

The benefits of smoking are.

Beneficial health changes that take place:

• Within 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2-12 weeks, your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
• 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
• 1 year, your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a smoker’s.
• 5 years, your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
• 10 years, your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker and your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decreases.
• 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)