Smoking for relaxation is an ancient habit. Consuming tobacco, however, in its present form came into vague in the sixteenth century. The story goes that Sir. Walter Raleigh was once smoking tobacco imported from South America. His servant mistakenly thought that his master was in flames and poured buckets of water on his head. Tobacco was introduced in the Mughal court during the days of Jahangir. Sir Thomas Row, the first British representative of the East India Company to the Emperor’s court, brought tobacco as a present to the Badshah.
Young generation feel great, as if, puffing a cigarette and throwing out smoke. They begin the game out of fun and curiosity how it tastes; then the game takes the shape of a showmanship and in due course of time they find that they have got addicted to smoking and cannot give it up. It sometimes begins with one or two cigarettes a day, and then turn into chain smokers – one out, the other is lighted and so on from the fire of the earlier one.
Cigarettes contain nicotine along, with tobacco and this nicotine makes one addicted to smoking. It has an intoxicating effect and once a man’s nerves catch this intoxication, the nerves keep on needing it and one feels lethargic and dull without a puff because the nerves are constantly asking for the kick. Nicotine is an element which slowly and gradually passes on and gets deposited in the lungs. This gradual deposition causes lungs diseases – bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis and even cancer– of which there is no cure. In women, smoking increases your risk of cervical and rectal cancer, smoking worsens your period, smoking damages your fertility and smoking can affect your unborn babies.
It is not only the smoker who sustains the harm; even those who are not smoking but in the company of smokers, passively inhale the smoke of cigarettes, are also harmed. It is therefore, that smoking has been banned in cinema halls or conference halls, in trains and buses, on railway platforms. It is slightly said that “Passive smoking is more dangerous that active smoking”.
Unfortunately people in general were not well aware of the adverse affects of tobacco till the 1960’s. Since the public has been informed about the life threatening diseases of smoking, the numbers of smokers are on the wane to some extent. However, millions of people, regardless of medical research and knowing the harmful effects of smoking cheap brand cigarettes, continue to put their health at risk. India has the largest number of oral cancer cases in the world and a good number of them are tobacco related. North-Eastern states recorded to be the highest consumers of tobacco of which genderwise prevalence of smoking in Nagaland stands at 49% male and 12% female.
In fine, it is indispensable to mention that despite the detrimental effects of smoking, even now it is an inseparable part of guest entertainment and group chat. Smoking ‘bidis’ is the poor man’s only consolation or innocent recreation, as an escape from the boredom of work. For an overworked and tired man sitting leisurely with few cigarettes or bidis, refreshes the body and relaxes the mind. Many of the literary writers, poet and statesmen have found the cigarettes their unfailing and useful companion – for finding out new ideas and also for filling in both the vacant and vigilant hours. It would not be an exaggeration to mention that there have been and are writers and authors whose pen move only when they are puffing out. It also cannot be denied that smoking in measured doses of good quality and filtered cigarette has some cheering effects and bring tranquillity. Smoking cannot be stopped, nor thought of stopping by legislation. For good or bad, it has come to stay as a practice of the modern man.
Shibdas Ghose
PWD Rental Housing Campus
Dimapur, Nagaland
vikashdimapur@gmail.com
