Experts from #HiranandaniParksHospital joined hands with doctors from #ApolloHospitals to set rolling a public health campaign on #NoTobaccoDay (May 31). The mission: to inspire thousands of people to quit smoking. #HiranandaniParks is built around sports facilities for an active and healthy lifestyle in a township featuring venues for most games and sports including golf and polo.
Top consultants and public health educators spoke about the focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 which was on “tobacco and lung health” and held at the world class auditorium inside the satellite township. The campaign aims to create increased awareness on the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health.
From cancer, autoimmune disorders, Type 2 diabetes, premature deaths and heart strokes, tobacco smoking has grave consequences on one’s health.
The campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.
The challenge is in making every day a No Tobacco Day, the experts observed. But make no mistake, tobacco smoking is the primary cause for lung cancer, responsible for over two thirds of lung cancer deaths globally. Second-hand smoke exposure at home or in the work place also increases risk of lung cancer. Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer: after 10 years of quitting smoking, risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.
Tobacco smoking is also the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition where the build-up of pus-filled mucus in the lungs results in a painful cough and agonising breathing difficulties. The risk of developing COPD is particularly high among individuals who start smoking at a young age, as tobacco smoke significantly slows lung development. Tobacco exacerbates asthma, which restricts activity and contributes to disability. Early smoking cessation is the most effective treatment for slowing the progression of COPD and improving asthma symptoms.
Infants exposed in-utero to tobacco smoke toxins, through maternal smoking or maternal exposure to second-hand smoke, frequently experience reduced lung growth and function. Young children exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk of the onset and exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis, and frequent lower respiratory infections.
Globally, an estimated 60 000 children die before the age of 5 of lower respiratory infections caused by second-hand smoke. Those who live on into adulthood continue to suffer the health consequences of second-hand smoke exposure, as frequent lower respiratory infections in early childhood significantly increase risk of developing COPD in adulthood.
Tuberculosis (TB) damages the lungs and reduces lung function, which is further exacerbated by tobacco smoking. About one quarter of the world’s population has latent TB, placing them at risk of developing the active disease. People who smoke are twice as likely to fall ill with TB. Active TB, compounded by the damaging lung health effects of tobacco smoking, substantially increases risk of disability and death from respiratory failure.
Tobacco smoke is a very dangerous form of indoor air pollution: it contains over 7000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Though smoke may be invisible and odourless, it can linger in the air for up to five hours, putting those exposed at risk of lung cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and reduced lung function.
Hiranandani Parks is built around an active and healthy lifestyle amidst lush greenery, open spaces, organic farms and multiple options for keeping you fit and happy, every day of the year. Not just on May 31st.
Explore the smoke-free world of HiranandaniParks @ bit.ly/2LQAiu0