By: Arvin Gumato Pareja, MBA

The Escalation of Public Smoking The Vestiges from Ash to Ash

 The Allegory

Recent economic expansion in most urban areas did transform the classic reflection of our society and our social order in general.  On the economic side, this positive trend offer’s opportune to business expansion, investment and employment opportunity.  New businesses flourish in the market place.  Among the commerce that we can visibly identify these days to most city centers are; internet shops, specialty item gift store, branded specialty fast foods and soda counters, meal in the box and pack lunch counters, to include the illustrious coffee shops that are highly interiored with furnishing in a relaxing ambiance – that spawn an addicting aroma from a freshly brewed Robusta and Arabica that renovates the entire idea to manipulate part of our lives as far as comfort and indulgence is concern.

 In most areas of the shopping malls, in the heart of the city centers, within university campuses, hotel lobby’s, airports, bus stations and seaport areas, and in four corners of most city life – these evolution can be founded that we allowed, we welcomed and embraced the changes. 

 The positive effect based on the hypothesis of commerce, trade and employment, generates return of excise for the government to fund immediate infrastructure and the basic social services for the community.  However,   hazards brought by these industries as a result should have been anticipated – preserving good health to live a life in a comfortable urban setting.

 And why so that the progress that reinvents the face of our present times is being associated with the unending debate that predisposes the deteriorating health in our community?

 The Lure of Obsession

The comfort of city life from the full complement of amenities is a console to many who are; not just the on the go but for all, just as it invites by-standing, a hide away heaven to those who are just hanging out and hanging around.

 Internet shops are packed with young generations and the young at heart; where they can explore the world in researches, info finds, and chat. Comforted with tea, coffee, soda, all brands of cigar and cigarettes which most café shop do served in a built-within shopping counter -complement a perfect combination, enjoying the passing of time in ones PC terminal in an open for smoking net café cabins thus, an internet savvy can explore the world by cables for hours; day in day out 24/7. 

 And these phenomena do influence the global frame.

 Among the busiest airports in the world, the comfort of duty free shops, fine resto-bars, coffee shops that serves freshly brewed coffee nectar and others that a traveler can desire seems available.

 Duty free shops displays the most sought after brands of smoke and cigars in a more prominent area. Inviting, tempting – this is true to wines and spirits which offers a strong enticement for travelers to stock up to pick more; use as token and gift item.  With the coffee shops at pre-departure lobby – comes smoking as a free for all who dine a mug.

 The Reason to Light a Smoke

Social influence somehow premeditates one to hook up with smoking, a call persuaded by the changes in our present times.

 Scientifically, tar and nicotine, the end product of cigar is a potent addicting substance.  In fact, a smoker may find the hardest part of trial in his/her life to quit because nicotine and tar is absorb in the body thru the bloodstream  that results to craving forming a habitual cycle.

Of all the diseases associated with smoking, addiction is perhaps the one that receives the least attention. But President Clinton declared nicotine an addictive drug last August. In March, the Liggett Group, makers of Chesterfield and Lark brand cigarettes, admitted that cigarettes were addictive and cause cancer and agreed to pay about $750 million total to 22 states that had filed suit to force tobacco companies to pay for Medical aid for smoking-related illnesses.

 Scott Harshbarger, the Massachusetts attorney general and president of the National Association of Attorneys General, told reporters that the Liggett deal “will produce information that indicates major tobacco companies were fully aware that the product they were selling is addictive, that the product they were selling had great impact on public health.”

Other tobacco companies are clearly none too keen on the Liggett deal. For them, nicotine remains what they call a harmless flavor enhancement.

 The Result from the Addiction to Smoking

Hooking up with cigar is a continuous habit, smoke will irritate the oral pharynx in our mouth including the nasal septum and polyps; this is the parts of our mouth near to the tonsils area as we swallow – around the vocal cord that connects to our nasal cavity for breathing. 

From the irritant smoke comes a harsh voice as a result of the inflamed tonsils, congested nose and swollen polyps.

 Bad breath is another effect; the tar and nicotine will discolor the teeth and gums to swell and bleed easily – a ground to invite oral infection.  And this is true to the discoloration of the nails, lips, constant sneezing and clogged up breathing.

 The effect of the lungs from smoking is very crucial; hence the alveolar sack is very sensitive from foreign substances. This is where the process of oxygenation of blood takes place.  Therefore, if the alveoli are irritated, oxygenation of blood will be limited that will result to inaccurate circulation processes and poor health.

 Continues irritation of the alveoli normally lead to infection commonly caused by tubercle bacilli – the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (cancer of the lungs).

 Smoking covers a wide range of effect in the body; poor blood oxygenation will result to poor function of the internal organs and immune system (the body’s defense mechanism against infection) that influence bacteria and viruses to set in – therefore, illnesses associated from the secondary complications are close and possible.

 The Prey

The studies didn’t just point to the ill effects of smoking on those who smoke — non-smokers, too, are apparently affected by the smoke from their friends, family members and strangers who light up in their presence.

A steady stream of reports documented the statistical risks of contracting cancer or suffering from heart disease, even if you’ve never put a cigarette to your lips.

The American Heart Association last fall released a seven-year study showing that never-smoking spouses of smokers have more than a 20 percent greater chance of death from coronary heart disease than those who have never smoked who live with non-smokers. That study gave more impetus to the drive to make workplaces and other public areas smoke-free.

 The effects of smoking are hard on the children of smokers as well, the studies say. Dr. Claude Hanet of the St. Luc University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, said earlier this year that a baby born to a smoking mother “should be considered an ex-smoker.”

Hanet’s study cautioned that cigarette smoke was more detrimental with decreasing age.

And a University of Birmingham, England, study, published in the British Journal of Cancer showed a possible link between fathers who smoked and an increased incidence of cancers in their children, while studies in the U.S. showed a possible link between smoking and DNA damage.

 Public Health and Safety

Polluted air – the vestige of smoking; including fumes and pollution caused by the increasing economic spin will result to poor health in our urban life.  Malls and Hotels will no longer be the place of fun relaxation that will limit our social affairs, and death from the young age is now common due to the cancer causing bacteria cultured from smoking.

 How to Limit the Vicious Cigar Smoking?

Public places should have a designated corner for smokers; it should be in isolation that will keep its fume and smoke to disperse around the common areas.  Trading and distribution of cigar and cigar by-products should be controlled with maximum limitations; under age boy can buy a pack if cigarettes anywhere – that seems retailers are not sensitive to some active policies to this effect.  Just the same, wholesale purchases of the product for personal consumption should not be allowed.  Warnings in the label that smoking is dangerous to ones health should be expanded – not only in the packaging but to include in public bulletin and other medium – disseminating the information.  Importation levy should be at the upper limit in order to bring the price of cigarette at the highest for common people not to afford thus, limiting the sales and consumption.

 Schools should teach health information about the bad effect of smoking to educate our young children.  The media should constantly play apart in serving the general public about the bad effect of smoking.

  In Summary

By 2020, the WHO expects the worldwide death toll to reach 10 million, causing 17.7% of all deaths in developed countries. There are believed to be 1.1 billion smokers in the world, 800,000 of them in developing countries.

 Smoking is a personal choice, a freedom.  However, it affects the health of others.  Thus, smoking should be abridged to limit the harm for others.

 Government should influence to obliterate the monopoly of cigarette and its excess proliferation in terms of product channels and distribution.  Because once the monopoly is crashed to pieces, this cycle will taper even with less effort.