There is fire in smoking

For most people, the most dreaded disease is cancer. Even family members and friends are affected by it because in most cases it leads to death. On February 4, the United Nations marks World Cancer Day and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a statement says Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries. It can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs. 

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, particularly in developing countries. The worst affected is the Western Pacific Region where it is estimated that close to 6.22 million new cases occurred in 2018 --3.43 million in men and 2.79 million in women. In the region, almost 3.7 million people died from cancer that same year.   

According to the WHO, tobacco kills more than 8 million people a year globally, including 1.2 million nonsmokers. This is a stunning and shocking reality because these nonsmokers include even children. The WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative supports countries in strengthening tobacco control in line with the WHO framework convention on tobacco control.   

In Sri Lanka, the government also went through blazing claims in its bid to cover the cigarette packet with a health warning. There were court cases and other pressures from powerful lobbies but eventually the packet was covered with the label “smoking causes cancer or smoking causes heart disease”. But smoking is still reported to be at a high level. The worldwide tobacco industry is so powerful and has so much money that it has invented a devise that is even tempting small children to smoke. 

This is through e or electronic cigarettes. 
According to the website Medical News Today, an e-cigarette is a long tube that usually resembles a cigarette, a cigar, a pipe, or a pen. Most are reusable, with replaceable and refillable cartridges, but some are disposable. The e-cigarette was invented by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist, working for Golden Dragon Holdings, now known as Ruyan. The company started exporting into major markets in 2005 to 2006. There are now more than 460 different brands on the market. Most e-cigarettes have a mouthpiece, or cartridge, a heating element, a rechargeable battery and electronic circuits. As the user sucks on the mouthpiece, a sensor activates a heating element that vapourises a flavoured, liquid solution held in the mouthpiece. The person then vapes or inhales, the aerosol solution. The nicotine content varies from zero to “extra-high,” or 24 to 36 milligrams (mg) a millilitre (ml).   

In a statement on how risky e-cigarettes are, the WHO says there are many different types of e-cigarettes in use -- also known as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), with varying amounts of nicotine and harmful emissions. ENDS emissions typically contain nicotine and other toxic substances that are harmful to both users and those exposed to the vapours secondhand. Some devices that claim to be nicotine-free have been found to contain nicotine. There is no doubt they are harmful to health and are not safe, but it is too early to provide a clear answer on the long-term impact of using them or being exposed to them. ENDS are particularly risky when used by adolescents. Nicotine is highly addictive and young people’s brains develop up to their mid-twenties. Exposure to nicotine can have long-lasting, damaging effects. By December 10 last year the US reported more than 2,409 hospitalised cases and 52 confirmed deaths.   

According to our sister paper the Financial Times despite multiple measures by successive governments to bring down tobacco prevalence in Sri Lanka, still more than one in four males use tobacco. Reducing smoking prevalence is also identified as one of the concerns in the manifesto of the newly-elected President of Sri Lanka. According to the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA), currently, more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans smoke as many as 11 million cigarettes daily. The high number of current male smokers who are 15 years and above, amounting to 28.4%, is concerning, given the high health, social, environment and economic costs incurred by the country due to tobacco.   

 No study has been made but it is known that e-cigarettes are also being widely promoted especially among school children. Therefore the government needs to use its firepower to win this battle against the tobacco mafia whether it comes in the form of normal cigarettes or e-cigarettes.