Tobacco Use among Young Adults
Teenagers are experimental and just to look cool in their peer group or to escape from situations, they often end up doing things which they should not. Tobacco is one of them. A single puff can trigger a lifelong addiction and adolescents easily fall for nicotine addiction trap.
Sadly, almost 8,60,000 children start smoking between the ages of 12- 15 years in India. While there have been rules by the government to curb tobacco sales to children, teenagers can still easily lay their hands on it. Owing to difficulty to quit smoking beedis, cigarettes, hookah, khaini, gutka or chillum, these young adults suffer from critical long-term health issues
Risk of Cancer
‘Smoking Kills’- and it is indeed true. Tobacco use can lead to sixteen different kinds of cancer. Some of the worst types are cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, nose, sinus, oesophagus, pancreas, liver, kidney, ureter, cervix, ovary and bowel. This apart, smoking tobacco can also cause acute myeloid leukaemia (blood cancer). Adolescents because of their early smoking habits and inability to quit, run at a risk of suffering terminal cancer according to NCBI.
Heart Disease
Smoking leads to nicotine deposition on the lining of the arteries that narrows their passage. The more the passage is obstructed the greater the risk of angina or heart attack. As blood vessels become thicker or thinner due to prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide in nicotine, it may lead to sudden unexpected incidents of brain stroke and paralysis too. For adolescents who started smoking early, the threat to developing serious cardiovascular diseases remains prominent.
Breathing Problem & Acute Asthma
Carbon monoxide in tobacco reduces the amount of oxygen in blood which means difficulty in breathing, carrying out daily life activities and increased fatigue. Those using tobacco for prolonged periods have developed some form of asthma, whether seasonal or permanent. Chronic asthma is quite harmful as it hinders daily life activities and promotes a sedentary lifestyle.
Birth Related Issues
Incessant tobacco use can affect fertility in males and can increase risks of defective births. In females, it can lead to weaker bones and miscarriages.
General immunity deficiency
Smoking reduces immunity power in the body and can therefore trigger various kinds of infection and inflammation.
Type 2 Diabetes
The risk of incurring type 2 diabetes is 40% higher in active smokers. Type 2 diabetes can lead to kidney failures, problem in vision and trigger other macrovascular problems.
Arthritis
Tobacco smoking weakens the bone. Brittle bones or weak bones increase the risk of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis.
Psychological Issues
Adolescents take to smoking for a fun try or to be treated and accepted as an adult by the society, psychologists opine. This thought process indicates confidence issues in adolescents like – self-worth, will power and the idea to labour. As time passes the feeling of “worthlessness” overpowers and triggers chronic depression, insomnia. sleep apnea, narcolepsy and hypersomnia in adolescents.
It’s important that we nurture our kids with the right values and the right education. They all must know how tobacco can damage their bodies and the idea should get firmly rooted in their minds. It is only then can we help our children to stay away from the addictive monster.
