DT Next Health: Smoking impacts not just the smoker, but society too

CHENNAI: When one buys a pack of cigarettes (or any other contraption like cigar, beedi, pipes, bongs, and e-cigarettes), the cost seems straightforward – it’s the amount you pay at the counter. However, the true cost of smoking goes far beyond the monetary value. This disgusting habit triggers a domino effect, impacting not just the smoker, but also those around them and society as a whole.

Lost man hours: Smoking is a significant time waste, in terms of ‘opportunity lost’. Just for once consider the hours spent smoking, the breaks taken during work hours, and the decreased productivity due to nicotine cravings. This time spent ruining oneself could be better spent enriching life, learning new skills, or simply enjoying quality time with loved ones. Do we even have to explain the heartbreaks and relationship issues, smoking causes?

Medical expenses: Smoking-related illnesses are a major burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Smokers themselves have to incur significant medical expenses, right from procedures as basic as dental cleaning to treating chronic conditions like bronchitis, emphysema and even life-threatening diseases like lung cancer and heart disease. Moreover, the hapless bystanders, families, and friends of smokers are also exposed to the risk of developing smoking-related illnesses.

Environmental impact: Smoking pollutes both inside and out. Cigarette butts, packaging, and chemicals released by smokers contribute to air, water, and soil pollution. The entire society bears the cost of cleaning up these pollutants, or suffers the consequences just for tolerating, or not condemning enough, the silent terror of smoking.

Ultimate cost: The most one could pay for a pack of joints, is one’s life itself. Tobacco is responsible for millions of deaths every year around the world. Enough said it is written on the very package itself as a warning! Yet most people ignore the fine print, wreaking havoc day and night.

As civilised individuals, it is time to acknowledge the fact that smoking harms the entire society and stand up against this evil practice.