The largest ban on smoking in public places may have come as a welcome idea but what needs to be done is to fight the demon within you that causes an addiction to nicotine and as a result death.

The day 2nd October, when we celebrated the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri along with Eid was auspicious not only for the above reasons but also for the ban. But what we and the society need to do is to become more conscious of the ill effects of smokings.

Doctors say that half of all people who continue to smoke will die of the habit. In USA alone 1 in 5 people die due to use of tobacco in all its forms. Recent studies state that as compared to 5 million deaths due to tobacco now, the number is likely to become 10 million by 2030. 

India is responsible for catering to the third largest market for cigarettes and approx 250 million smokers and an equal number of passive smokers. The similar ban in the US showed positive response as smoking declined from 42% to 20.9% of the entire population. We in our country need to try harder to make this ban a success.

Dr Ambrish Mithal, Senior Consultant, endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital says” Smoking is addictive and dangerous because it has effects on the respiratory system and cardiovascular system.” 

The effects are seen not only on the smokers but also the people around them .The smoke which contains 4000 different substances cause various diseases such as cancer. Furthermore smoking is seen as the major cause of heart disease, it causes complications in diabetics, there are more chances of a fracture if a person is a smoker, it increases blood pressure, it is the most common cause of emphysema and lung cancer.

In children the effect of passive smoking is not just physical but also psychological. Chronic cough and phlegm is seen more frequently in children of smokers. The children who are exposed to passive smoking have a greater risk of developing bronchitis, pneumonia and other chest diseases in their first year.

This hazardous habit has taken its toll on millions, atleast a ban like this is a step towards fighting and killing this vicious demon within.