The danger of smoking

The danger of smoking

From Republika

I was very concerned to discover a television report that said lung and respiratory cancer in Indonesia rank second in the world after China.

One of the major causes of this disturbing finding is cigarette smoke. It is baffling that despite numerous health campaigns such as the immunization drive, the healthy halal food promotion, family welfare and prosperity and the fight to reduce child and maternal mortality rates, authorities seem to have missed the antismoking crusade.

I am certain that doctors do not doubt the potential danger of smoking on health. It is not just dangerous for the active smoker, the passive smoker will be affected too.

Unfortunately active smokers do not realize this. Just witness the number of smokers in public vehicles, conference rooms, offices, hotels, schools, houses and even hospitals (where patients should be breathing clean air). It seems we are unable to escape the presence of smokers.

I often travel with smoking passengers in public vans, who disregard the presence of mothers and babies beside them. I still observe smokers in offices too despite countless "No smoking" signs. The same applies in AC-buses. What is the matter with these people? It is as if smokers are unable to comprehend the seriousness of the problem.

Of course, a solution should be sought by various parties. The public should become fully aware of the dangers of smoking. Smokers should realize that their habit is offensive and they should nurture a sense of responsibility for nonsmokers. Everyone has the right to breath fresh air.

As for the government, it seems that a large-scale drive is necessary to dramatically decrease the number of people smoking in this country. We do not want smoking to become a typical habit of Indonesians.

If the national immunization drive was such a huge success (babies who missed the treatment at the clinics were immunized at home), why would an antismoking campaign be so hard to organize?

However the battle remains as cigarette ads are rampant and flourishing freely without objection.

And as for cigarette manufacturers, I suggest that they should think of rechanneling their profits into other ventures. The media could also help in reducing smoking by decreasing the number of cigarette ads in their papers.

Ady

Environmentalist