World in Smoke, Let us Extinguish
31 May 2010

It’s not only volcano, earthquake and forest fires that send smoke up in this day and age but smoking the dangerous contribution to the physical health and mental well being.

The year’s theme on World No Tobacco day is "Gender and Tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women".

Women are in no way innocent here. They compromise about 20% of world’s more than 1 billion smokers. Fortunately it has not caught on very much in Sri Lanka but 02% is a fairly high percentage for women smokers. It is far more dangerous for women as mothers to be or pregnant mothers. Smoker Women would be a hazard to the new borns as well. Women are also subjected to passive smoking which is equally a dangerous signal.

Smoking happens to be one of the major causes of deaths through non communicable diseases. Over 20000 succumb to such disaster annually. Smoking is one of the preventable causes of death or disabilities caused through smoke.

Sri Lanka follows an anti smoking, anti alcoholic policy. President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s policy “Mathata Thitha” is a halt to dangerous drugs including smoking as well. Let us all unite to build a healthier Sri Lanka by encouraging and adhering to this policy, especially in youth and women.

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