Happy World No Smoking Day!
Smoking has always been addressed as something harmful, and indeed it is. If you are a non-smoker you would certainly want people around you not to smoke as well. There must be many who want to quit smoking but can’t do it, because it is a very difficult task to carry out. A cigarette is highly addictive in nature. They are harmful to the one who smokes cigarettes as well as for the people around smokers.
No smoking day brings awareness to the people and tells them about the harm caused by smoking cigarettes. This day also tries to spotlight ways to help people who wish to quit smoking. This day was first observed as an annual health awareness day in the United Kingdom in the year 1984. Every year on the second Wednesday of March this day is observed to help those who want to quit smoking. Each year a theme is set for the day. From which the theme for “No smoking day 2010” was ‘break free’.
Over the last few decades, it has become clear how harsh smoking is to our health. The toxins that our body absorbs causes different forms of cancer in the lungs and mouth. According to a survey, thousand of youths between 12 to 17 years of age are found to start smoking each day. Effects of smoking start at the initial stage with cough and throat irritation along with bad breath. It may lead to much more serious illnesses such as heart diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia and types of cancer.
(Learn the benefits of quitting here: https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/why-you-should-quit/benefits-of-quitting)
Smoking is one of the preventable causes of premature deaths. No matter what your age is or how long you have been smoking, your health starts improving as soon as you stop. This is because your body starts to recreate the neural pathways that had been otherwise damaged by the habit. In a month’s time, a person’s lung function starts getting restored to normal.
Now you must be wondering about how do you quit. We all know that this is one of the toughest things to do but we cannot ignore the fact that it’s not impossible. Smoking cannot be given up in a day, but it can surely come to an end someday. Avoiding “Relapse” is what you should gear up your mind to do. It’s just that you need to have strong will power and a firm belief in yourself. Once decided to quit smoking you cannot choose to be lured by others. After all, nicotine in cigarettes is a powerful and addictive drug, but with the right approach, you can do it.
Now, why do we have a specific day chosen to quit such addiction, when you can quit it any day according to your will? A simple answer to it is that, this day serves as an inspiration and encourages people who are confused about when to ‘stop’ smoking. So if you are the one who wants to stop this addiction, this is the best day to start, and also help others around you as well as the environment.
Happy World No Smoking Day!
Contributed by:
Sejal Upadhaya
Read our blog on: International Women’s Day 2020
