Let children have smoke-free childhood
Exposure to second hand smoke puts half of world's children at risk for serious health problems. Statistics by WHO show that around 700 million children are constantly exposed to the deleterious effects of tobacco smoke. Disconcertingly maximum exposure takes place in safe places, particularly at home. Experts warn that parents should not smoke or never allow any smokers around their children or homes if they want to prevent their children from getting cancer later in life. Breathing air polluted by tobacco smoke not only enhances the risk of cancer; it can also ignite a host of chronic health problems, like respiratory tract infections, asthma, inadequate lung function and insufficient supply of oxygen to the lungs. Second hand smoke is reported to have link with the incidences of sudden infant death syndrome, leukemia in childhood, neurobehavioral abnormalities, meningococcal infections like meningitis and a host of upper respiratory tract infections. Second hand smoke, also known as 'passive smoke' or 'Environmental Tobacco Smoke' (ETS), is the inhalation of tobacco smoke from the atmosphere, released by the puff of a first hand smoker. Children are particularly at more risk than the adults as they take in more air; therefore will inhale more toxins in the air and cannot cope with it by their weak and nascent immune system. Moreover they are unable to effectively verbalise their problems. Most parents are unaware about the most noxious of substances in a tobacco. More than 40 of them are undoubtedly carcinogenic and may lead to cancer in course of time. Second hand smoke is also worse in this era, where carcinogens shown to be in a highly virulent form as compared to the smoke inhaled by a smoker. Second hand smoke is equally deleterious to the growing fetus (child in uterus). Maternal active or passive smoking can lend a severe blow to the developing fetus by choking the flow of oxygen and essential nutrients. The outcome of this habit may translate into lifelong disabilities in the child. To give special attention on child passive smoking, World Cancer Day of this year was marked recently with the theme "children and second-hand smoke exposure". Experts urged to spread a simple message to all parents: "Second-hand smoke is a health hazard for you and your family. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Give your child a smoke-free childhood." According to WHO, 48 percent male in Bangladesh are smoker. The smoking prevalence among women is much lower ranging from 2-11 percent and there are two class of women who smoke- very poor and affluent. Research has shown that the bulk of tobacco users actually begin the habit in their teenage years. As a result, estimated smokers increase their risk as well as enhance risk of others in the environment. "A smoke-free childhood is vital for nurturing a healthy start for children and reducing their risks of cancer," said Dr Habibullah Talukder Ruskin, a cancer epidemiologist of National Cancer Institute. "Parents are the role models for their child. They should step up their vigilance to pick up the habits. We need to help parents to understand the long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle and to engage them as partners in cancer prevention activities that start early in life. The health risks for the smokers mitigate with each year of abstaining from tobacco. All parents and care givers should ensure all children enjoy smoke-free childhoods; everyone should make his/her home, car, school and community smoke-free" he urged. The biggest blessing of giving up tobacco is in the creation of a safe and healthy environment for children. This might be the most vital gift any parent can give their children so that they proudly acclaim, "I love my smoke-free childhood."
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