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THIRD HAND SMOKING

Third hand smoking is what's left behind when someone has been smoking.Third hand smoking lands and stays on nearly every surface in the area where someone has been smoking, including skin,hair, clothing, furniture and flooring.

HOW THIRD HAND SMOKING AFFECTS CHILDREN

Third hand smoking is dangerous because babies and children have smaller airways than grown-ups, and their airways are still developing. Also, babies and children have less mature immune systems than grown-ups.

Babies and young children also spend a lot of time on or near the floor and often put their hands and toys into their mouths. This means they can swallow or breathe in toxins from the third-hand smoke on the floor and other surfaces.

CHILD HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIRD HAND SMOKING

Children exposed to third hand smoke are at an increased risk of early death and disease from various causes.

SUDDEN UNEXPECTED DEATH IN INFANCY

Third-hand smoke can impair a baby’s breathing and heart rate, which can put the baby at a higher risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) If parents smoke during pregnancy and after their baby is born, their baby’s SUDI risk increases. The more second-hand smoke a baby is exposed to, the higher the risk of SUDI.

LUNG DISEASES

And if children are exposed to third-hand smoke, they can have swelling and irritation in their airways. They’re more likely than other children to develop a range of lung and other health problems. These problems include:

asthma 

bronchiolitis

bronchitis 

childhood cancers, including leukaemia

croup 

ear infections 

meningococcal disease, including meningitis

Pneumonia 

tonsillitis 

EFFECTS ON BRAIN

Exposure to third-hand smoke can affect a child’s developing brain because the brain is very sensitive to even very small amounts of toxins.

Children with existing lung and other health problems are at an even greater risk from third-hand smoke.

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

The most important way to protect your child from third-hand smoke is to quit smoking and to support other adults in your child’s life to quit. This reduces your child’s exposure to  third-hand smoke. It also gives your child positive non-smoking role models. If you’re not quite ready to quit, or if someone else in your home smokes, there are still things you can do to reduce your child’s exposure to the smoke. One of the most important things you can do is to make sure no-one smokes near your child in your house or car. This means you’ll have to smoke away from your child, and that you’ll need to ask other family members, friends, care takers and visitors to do the same. Also make sure no-one ever smokes in an enclosed area near your child. You might need to explain to friends and family that simply blowing smoke away from your child doesn’t protect your child from the harmful effects of smoke. You could say that you’re keen to keep your child healthy by minimizing their exposure to smoke. When visiting friends or leaving children in the care of someone else, try to make sure the environment is free of smoke. Never smoke in a car that carries children. Opening the car window isn’t enough to stop smoke affecting children. It’s illegal to smoke in a car that carries a child under the age of 16-18 years.  Also keep in mind that you can't get rid of third hand smoke  by airing out rooms , opening windows, using fans or air conditioner or by confining smoking to certain areas of home.

The burden of tobacco use is high in India. Though there has been a decline in the tobacco use from 34.6% in 2009–2010 to 28.6% in 2016–2017, the numbers still constitute a major burden. Sociodemographic determinants have been known to influence health related behaviours, and tobacco use is no exception. The effect of sociodemographic determinants has been reflected in the patterns of tobacco use, second-hand smoke exposure, quitting behaviour, and marketing strategies. Innovative marketing practices like packaging and promotion of tobacco products have been shown to differentially impact vulnerable populations. Kerala is regarded unique to other states in India in terms of having good health indicators. It is also a state with high indicators of social development. The state is presently dealing with the burden of non-communicable diseases with tobacco being a major modifiable risk factor. Hence tobacco control and cessation are an important public health priority in the state.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) was conducted in India between 2016 and 2017 with 74037 completing the interviews. A total of 2186 individuals (783 males and 1403 females) from Kerala participated in GATS-2. We present a snapshot of the observations here:

Overall prevalence

Smoking tobacco use was found to be 7.7%, which is less than the national average of 10.7%, while smokeless tobacco use accounted for 5%, which was considerably less than the national average of 21.5%.

Education

The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India. It is generally agreed that the fewer the years of education, the more likely a person is a smoker. This study observed that poor education has significant association with tobacco use behaviour, age of tobacco use initiation, awareness regarding second-hand smoke, and knowledge of the detrimental health effects of tobacco.

Age

Older individuals (≥45 years) were more likely to use any forms of tobacco and were less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke effects.

Gender

Tobacco use behaviour (both smoking and smokeless tobacco use) was significantly higher among men. This observation was expected as smoking among women is considered a taboo in Indian communities. Hence, the reporting of smoking by women could probably have been low. Being employed was associated with higher chances of tobacco use.

Urban-Rural divide

The urban rural differentiation was found to be significantly different in smokeless tobacco use. This is in accordance with the normative assumption that rural households use smokeless forms of tobacco where the effect of culture is still ingrained in daily living.

To conclude, the effects of sociodemographic variables (age, gender, area of residence, education level, and area of residence) were found to be associated with tobacco use behaviour in the Indian state of Kerala.

“Fire at one end, fool at the other and a bit of cigarette in between…”

Often heard words about the grave habit of smoking. No tobacco campaigns always aim at creating awareness about its harmful effect on health, but say only little about the challenge it imparts on the environment.

Even from the first stage of planting to the dirty dumping of cigarette butts in the street it has a huge impact on our ecosystem as well

“We don’t smoke that……we just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and stupid”

R J Reynolds executive’s reply when asked why he didn’t smoke according to Dave Georlitz, lead Winston model for seven years for R J Reynolds. Tobacco is one unique industry which do not possess any social or health benefits. The harms these industrialists do to the society is overwhelming. Tobacco can no longer be considered as a human threat, it is a significant problem for global sustainable development

The transnational tobacco companies, in compliance with the environmental policies of developed countries have most of their plantations in developing or poor countries. Most of these tobacco plantations are concentrated in  rainforest areas signaling to wide range of deforestation. From there with the long chain of production, curing, and packaging an array of chemicals  as well as byproducts  are littered into the surroundings. It affects not only humans but the entire ecosystem itself. The polluted air, water, soil all creates an unhealthy environment for every creature.

Cultivation is not the only factor leading to deforestation, the curing of tobacco also. It is highly energy consuming, again signals the destruction of green wealth for the supply of fuels

Emission of co2 and other  toxic gases into the environment as a result of the curing  ends up in dark air. The agrochemicals (DDT,Aldicarb,chlorpyrifos) used in farming as well as the other waste products dumped in the soil also goes into the water thus making the entire habitat unfavourable for the living creatures to thrive. In addition to that this noxious substances makes the soil acidic and not suitable for any other staple cultivation ending up in food insecurity and ill health population for these low income countries. According to WHO, a worker in tobacco plantations chronically exposing to nicotine each day may absorb as much found in 50 cigarettes. Green tobacco sickness is this nicotine poisoning from the wet tobacco leaves during tobacco cultivation

When it comes to the stage of packaging, woods are cut down  for the paper rolling process. Tobacco  manufacturing causes a drastic depletion in the water resources also.

While the fumes from the smoker pollutes the air, it can affect the whole people around as well as the surroundings where the residues get deposited. There it comes the role of second hand and third hand smoking. Accidental fires either knowingly or unknowingly from the unextinguished cigarettes is one of the major reason for  the forest fires

The cigarette packages as well as cigarette butt litter act as a source of contamination to the environment .Cigarette butts are widely littered product.Around 4.5 trillion of them are dumped every year in the environment.These butts made of cellulose acetate take around 15 years to degrade in the soil..The butts tossed in the streets later end up in the water bodies making the aquatic life vulnerable to the toxic substances.Even those bits in the soil, when ingested by other animals can cause poisoning in them.It has been found that one butt per litre of water can kill the fish in a stream. Even if they survive ,these toxins will build up in their body ending up in biomagnification when it is consumed by humans.

Companies are experimenting various methods in order to reduce the  load of cigarette butt litter. Recent innovations says it can be recycled and can be used as raw material in manufacturing of soft toys, jackets, bricks etc.

Better the governments adopt strict regulations over the transnational companies. It is a paradox that why such an industry risking the well being of humans as well as the entire ecosystem comes out with high turnover. It is equally important to realize that not only the habit of smoking harms the health, but the entire process from tobacco bud to tobacco butt is a threat to environment.

Smoking not only affects a person’s health, it affects their well being, their personal life and the health of people around them. In recent years, more attention has diverted to focus on intense negative impact of smoking on social health. The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.

People give different reasons for smoking. Most of the people learn to smoke influenced by others. Hence smokers are existing as a bad example and misleading the younger generation. They might say they smoke because they enjoy it, or because their friends and family smoke. Others say they feel it helps them deal with stress, or it’s just something they do to pass the time. While smoking may appear to be a socially acceptable trend among young people, it still brings serious health problems. The consequences can be affecting your social life in ways you may not realize. 

Smoking effects society in the ways that it pollutes the air.  Smoking tends to create an antisocial relationship between a smoker and a non-smoker. People who are addicted into tobacco smoking may engage in crime if they are unable to raise the money required to buy the sticks. Alternatively, the criminal activities may be so violent such that the individual ends up dead after that indulgence. This leads to a huge loss to the family as they will have lost a member due to activities that are triggered by addiction to tobacco smoking.

Smoking may seem like a mere physical habit, but there is also an emotional aspect, which affects the smoker and their family.  While smokers may understand and even fear the consequences of smoking, they may not have the strength or will to quit. Studies have shown that smoking is associated with increased rates of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicide attempts and schizophrenia. Family members with concern for their loved one may become anxious and worried about the possible damage to the smoker's health.  In addition, children with a smoking parent may have fears about their future and the future of their parent.

Previous research has identified associations between social isolation and smoking, but has largely focused on the idea that social isolation and loneliness lead to more smoking. On the contrary, many people avoid being around smokers because of the fear of isolation and social stigma. Many people do not want to be exposed to other peoples’ smoke and are intolerant of smoking. This social nonacceptance is likely to increase as the number of smokers continues to drop.

Quitting would help not only your own health but the health of those around you, and would improve your social health. Quitting is a chance to be who you want to be and allows you to feel more comfortable in social situations. People often say that they feel a strong sense of pride when they quit. Stopping smoking is one of the best things a person can do to improve their health as well as general and social well being.

Tobacco is deadly in any form,either be smoking or smokeless.There are many scientific evidences that have proved tobacco can lead to cancer of lungs, oral cavity,nasal cavity,paranasal sinuses, larynx,oesophagus, bone marrow etc.People give different reasons for smoking. Some say that they smoke because they enjoy it or their friends and family smoke. Others say that they feel it helps them deal with daily stress.

     Studies show that use of tobacco by close social contacts is very likely to influence tobacco use among adults.Peer pressure is widely recognized as a crucial factor affecting young people’s early experimentation with tobacco and their willingness to continue smoking.The phenomenon of parental and peer influence on smoking has sometimes be explained with the help of social learning theory from psychology.According to this, individuals initiate behaviours they observe being modelled by those individuals with whom they are closely related such as parents, elder siblings, peers, teachers and media.

   In ancient times, smoking tobacco was considered as a taboo and was mostly consumed by the dominant male members of the family.The younger members of the family avoid consumption of tobacco products in the presence of elder family memebers.The practice of members of different generations smoking together in a home setting is rare even today though modernity has led to some relaxation of these rules.

    With advent of 20th century , many joint families segregated to nuclear families raised the consumption of tobacco prevalence among the population.Ironically, smoking was considered as a taboo and chewing tobacco was not, and practiced by many individuals.Inclusion of  tobacco as one of the key ingredients of paan highlights the importance of this product and wide social acceptability of tobacco chewing in ancient India.The social acceptance and consumption of paan chewing became a widely prevalent form of smokeless tobacco use in India.

                      Social environment affects individual behaviour by shaping norms,enforcing social control, enabling people to participate in particular behaviors.Above and beyod the addictive nature of tobacco, peer influence within a community, where tobacco use is normalised, may model an individual’s tobacco consumption through observational learning.

   During early adolescence, an individual tries to assert their independence and explore their identity.They crave the approval of  their peers and often worry about being rejected.However based on researches, individuals who don’t smoke say one of the main reasons is their parents.Parental influence is real and can be used as individuals struggle with peer pressure, examines their options and becomes a mature independent thinker.In addition to this school based intervention programmes are needed to reduce the high prevalence of tobacco use among students.One such school based intervention programme is project MYTRI (Mobilizing Youth for Tobacco- Related Initiatives in India).

                                Health promotional interventions for prevention and cessation of smoking are thought to involve a three-tiered approach.Reaching  the mass public by social marketing and mass media interventions,reaching the individuals by mass media,peer education,whilst approaching the community via community mobilization and changing the environment by media advocacy seems to be a an extremely effective method of inducing smoking prevention and cessation.

What is thirdhand smoke?

Third hand smoke is a residual of tobacco smoke that accumulates on surfaces, textiles and people after smoking has occurred in a room. While the harms of second-hand smoke exposure are reduced once the smoke clears, third hand smoke lingers long after the second-hand smoke has dissipated even years. Because thirdhand smoke does not simply go away once combustion has ended, non smokers’ exposure to hazardous particles can occur long into the future.

Where can third hand smoke be found?

Thirdhand smoke is found in areas where smoking once occurred. It can accumulate on walls floors, rugs, carpets, curtains, counters, appliances, pillows, blankets and on skin hair and clothing. Residual nicotine has been found in ceiling tiles even 30 years after the last smoking occurred.

Is third hand smoke harmful to your health?

Health officials warn that exposure to third hand smoke can we contribute to smoking attributable disease and death. When Residual nicotine reacts to certain chemicals in the air it forms cancer causing agents that continued to develop overtime. The level of carcinogen found in third hand smoke has been found to be higher than the levels recommended by the EPA for exposure by children of ages 1 to 6. Also, when nicotine reacts with ozone in air it forms ultrafine particles which can transport harmful chemicals. A recent study has even found that exposure to third hand smoke can cause genetic damage to human cells.

Who is most at risk for third hand smoke exposure?

Small children are at the highest risk for third hand smoke exposure. Infants and toddlers spent a lot of time on the floor and can ingest up to 0.25 g of dust per day. When children sleep or play on the surfaces with third hand smoke they absorb the contaminants through their skin or breathe in through the dust. Children living in smoking homes may also be exposed to third hand smoke via family members clothing and skin. Increased respiratory symptoms have been measured in children exposed to third hand smoke at home.

what should be done to prevent exposure?

Make your home 100 percentage smoke free. Simply cleaning does not completely remove third hand smoke contaminants from a room. Tests have found measurable levels of nicotine in new residents of formerly smoking homes and hotel rooms even after the unit has been professionally cleaned and left unoccupied for months.

According to the WHO reports, 22.3% of world population used tobacco in the year 2020 . The numbers are on a continuous rise. Tobacco consumption has been constantly associated with its most severe and dangerous outcome, that is commonly acknowledged which is ‘oral cancer’. However, environmental impacts of tobacco is something least heard of. This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day addresses the environmental issues and urges the need to protect the environment. Although tobacco manufacturing companies greenwash them as eco-friendly , are they really sustainable and green product ? The tobacco manufacturers provided only a murky impression on their eco-friendliness and this data black-hole is unnoticed by the state and the public.

Did you know ?

Research conducted by British scientists conclude that ,the tobacco leave behind an ecological footprint equivalent to 84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide along with killing half of their pristine customers.

The villain is not just the end tobacco products such as cigarettes , the problems begin at the grassroot level ,i.e the cultivation of tobacco plant. Tobacco is mainly cultivated in low and middle-income countries , being a remunerative cash crop it is cultivated over vast acres of land. These lands are made by deforestation ,which kickstarts a chain reaction of other consequences such as ,loss of biodiversity , water pollution and soil pollution as a result of excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. The plant drains more nutrients from the soil such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium compared to other major crop counterparts.

Curing and processing is a highly energy intensive procedure ,utilizing huge amount of wood and water. Moreover, these burning of wood for curing results in emission of greenhouse gases which in turn warms up the Earth’s surface. Shipping and transporting is another energy requiring stage. Furthermore , major proportion of the packaging is done using non-recyclable materials which had been replaced by sustainable paper covers which in turn amplifies the rate of deforestation.

Post-consumption : The cigarette butts generated post usage takes years to disintegrate ,but do they vanish completely?

There are numerous toxic chemicals  such as heavy metals , nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within these butts that leaches into the environment adding the intensity. A study by US Environmental Protection Agency found that a cigar butt soaked in water for 96 hours resulted in death of almost half of the exposed test fish.

E-cigarettes are another popular product widely accepted by people. The Electronic Nicotine and Electronic non-nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS and ENNDS) belongs to Next Generation Products ,which are ‘products of the century’. Even though they are widely used ,the looming environmental threats are unfamiliar. The electronic cigarettes consist of batteries ,cartridges ,whose disposal is not clearly guided by the manufacturers.

Hence, it is clearly evident that the environmental burden behind tobacco production falls on the vulnerable low-income and middle-income countries ,whilst the perks are enjoyed by the companies situated in high-income countries. The need of the hour is awareness and action to get hold of this lurking predator.

Reference :World Health Organisation :Tobacco and its environmental impact

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                   blog: truthinitiative.org

Nicotine in tobacco creates a dependency so that the body develops a need for a certain level of nicotine at all times. Unless that level is maintained by smoking or chewing tobacco the body will begin to go through withdrawal. On stopping tobacco consumption, our body goes through a very uncomfortable, but an acute phase of withdrawal process. Nicotine withdrawal can be a tough phase for many. Smoking has effects on almost all parts of the body and thus, nicotine withdrawal involves physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, including irritability, insomnia, anxiety, and increased appetite.

Anyone who’s quit (or tried to quit) smoking will tell you that the first week of withdrawal is the worst. In the initial 3 to 4 days that your body is clearing out the nicotine from that final cigarette, you will feel physically terrible and your mental state and emotions will be chaotic. But it will get better after that. You’ll improve physically, and your mental symptoms will also start to go away over the next few weeks. Most withdrawal symptoms peak 48 hours after you quit and subside over the next 3 to 4 weeks. When it ends, the nicotine will be out of your system. You’ll be healthier than you’ve been in a long time. Before you quit, it’s wise to have a plan for getting through these withdrawals. You’ll have an easier time if you’re mentally prepared and have some strategies for how to deal with your symptoms.

Symptoms include cravings, restlessness and boredom, anxiety and depression, stress, headaches, cough, fatigue and insomnia, digestive problems, trouble concentrating, weight gain. You might not have all of these symptoms, and you might find that some are easier to handle than others. but you should be aware of them so they don’t take you by surprise.

Cravings are strongest and the longest-lasting withdrawal symptom. They can start within 30 minutes of your final cigarette, as the nicotine starts to wear off and your body wants more. Take it one step at a time. Try not to worry about how you’ll get through the next few weeks. Each craving should last only 15 to 20 minutes. People who use tobacco products get used to having a certain level of nicotine in their body. This may occur long after your body is no longer addicted to nicotine.

Nicotine replacement products deliver measured doses of nicotine into the body, which helps to relieve the cravings and withdrawal symptoms often felt by people trying to quit tobacco use. Nicotine replacement products are effective treatments that can increase the likelihood that someone will quit successfully which is more effective when combined with advice or counseling from a doctor, dentist, pharmacist, or other health care provider. Aside from helping with cravings, it can also ease other symptoms by giving a small hit of nicotine without the other dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes, might help to deal with the anxiety or stress. It helps to stay busy when you’re trying to get through a craving. It’s common to gain weight in the first few weeks. Eating small healthy meals can also help you get past the urge to smoke. Be thoughtful of this and keep healthy foods on hand.

When you quit smoking, you may miss the increased excitement and good feeling that nicotine gave you. This may be particularly true when you are feeling bored. Try yoga, meditation, and deep breathing when withdrawal starts to get to you. Learning to delay the urge for using tobacco is another way. It is common to feel sad for a period of time soon after you quit smoking or using other tobacco products. If mild depression occurs, it will usually begin within the first day, continue for a couple of weeks, and go away within a month. Anxiety is one of the most common negative feelings associated with quitting. If anxiety occurs, it usually builds over the first 3 days after quitting and may last several week. After you quit smoking or using other tobacco products, you may feel edgy and short-tempered, and you may want to give up on tasks more quickly than usual. You may be less tolerant of others and get into more arguments. These negative feelings peak within 1 week of quitting and may last 2 to 4 weeks.

Knowing your triggers for using tobacco helps you stay in control because you can choose to avoid those triggers or keep your mind distracted and busy when you cannot avoid them. Instead of reaching for your cigarettes in the morning, begin each day with deep breathing and by drinking one or more glasses of water. Most smokers report that one reason they smoke is to handle stress. Smoking cigarettes causes temporary changes in your brain chemistry that can cause you to experience decreased anxiety, enhanced pleasure, and alert relaxation. Once you stop smoking and your brain chemistry returns to normal, you may become more aware of stress.

Once you make it through the first 2 weeks, you’re on your way to a lifetime free of nicotine addiction. But be prepared in case you falter. There can be lapse but it doesnot mean you have failed. Consider what went wrong. Then, think up ways to you could handle the same situation next time, without smoking. After you quit smoking, a lot of good things happen to your body pretty quickly. Within 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure go down. In 12 hours, the carbon monoxide levels in your body go back to normal. And within a couple of weeks, your circulation improves and you’re not coughing or wheezing as often. Think of alternatives that will keep your mind and body occupied and away from smoking. Don’t put yourself in situations that will raise the pressure to smoke. Pick a suitable day to quit the habit. Rewarding yourself for every single attempt in the initial struggling period can make you more motivated. Above all, stay focused on the big picture and remember that withdrawal will soon be in the past.

The government has established a national level tobacco cessation quitline with a toll-free number 1800-112-356 or connect with 1800-QUIT- NOW. The counseling can be made available in regional languages without disclosing your identity and personal infromation. They offer evidence based support like counselling, printed information, referrals to local programs and free medication to people who want to quit tobacco.

Chances of quitting tobacco can more than double with the right support. Quitting tobacco has major and immediate health benefits. Helping people to quit has more impact when efforts are combined with other tobacco control strategies. “Providing access to, and encouraging the use of, effective cessation interventions greatly increases the likelihood of successfully quitting tobacco”.

UNVEILING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING AND MENTAL HEALTH

1.  INTRODUCTION

Tobacco consumption is known to have a significant detrimental effect on public health(West, 2017). A  major proportion of smokers belong to the youth. The effect of tobacco and related substances on general health has been a commonly discussed topic. The carcinogenic potential has been evaluated through numerous studies. In addition to this, smoking is also negatively associated with the mental wellbeing of an individual. It has been identified that smoking has a detrimental effect on sleep (Liao et al., 2019). Smoking, along with other risks has been proven to a have an association with anxiety and depression (Fluharty et al., 2017).This article aims to explore and shed light on tobacco and its potential impact on mental health in brief.

2.  ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, INSOMNIA AND SMOKING

Individuals with distorted mental health resort to smoking at a young age to alleviate their stress compared to the general population (McManus et al., 2010). Several epidemiological studies have attempted and analysed the negative impact of second-hand smoke on mental health, which emphasized the need to have interventions to reduce the risk of second-hand smoke along with managing depression (Patten et al., 2018). A study by Li et al. evaluated the presence of metal ions in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) which could imply the neurotoxic effect of cigarette smoking. The study identified higher proportions of ions such as magnesium, zinc, aluminium, lead and lithium in CSF of smokers than non-smokers (Li et al., 2022). This is further supported by a study which demonstrated the effect of  increased amount of metal ions in CSF could result in cell death and affect circadian rhythm (Parmalee and Aschner, 2017). However, this relation of smoking with mental health is not only  cause- effect relation, but also could act as shared risk factor (Munafò and Araya, 2010, Kendler et al., 1993).

3.  EFFECT OF PARENTAL (Maternal/ Paternal) SMOKING ON OFFSPRING’S MENTAL HEALTH

Smoking during pregnancy has been recognized to have a correlation with numerous complications such as reduced foetal weight and pre-term birth(Hamadneh and Hamadneh, 2021) (Abraham et al., 2017). Analogous to this, parental smoking during pregnancy could result in behavioural disorders in children such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which affects the ability to concentrate and causes restlessness (Gustavson et al., 2017). Additionally, paternal smoking during conception may be a risk factor that contributes towards ADHD in children (Biederman et al., 2020). Hence, it could be deciphered that smoking, both maternal and paternal during conception could result in behavioural disorders which in turn could affect the psychological wellbeing of the child.

4.  CONCLUSION

In summary, it could be clearly identified that smoking does have an impact on mental health resulting in issues such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. Furthermore, smoking during pregnancy could result in behavioural problems in children such as ADHD. Recognizing this integrated relationship between smoking and mental health is crucial for effective intervention and management. Moreover, this necessitates the need for smoking cessation as an adjunct to mental health treatment for better treatment outcomes and improve the quality of life of individuals. Further research and actions are required to identify the underlying mechanisms and adopt proper measures.

Most of the youth these days can relate well to the romcom series once casted on television “Friends”. Much to no one’s awareness the famous star from the series Jennifer Anniston shares a beautiful inspirational story of how she overcame her tobacco addiction. Smoking being common among men previously, past decades has seen a huge rise in both genders as well. Stress, anxiety, rewarding yourself, peer pressure, the list goes on if one tries to find the motive behind. Nothing bigger than her example.

She rose to fame with the series Friends’s Racheal Green character and ever since her twenties started smoking even before fame and followed it up for quite well time, even during her marriage with Brad Pitt. The massive success even did not compel her to quit the habit. The negative impact it had on her career, incidents were her co starts found it unpleasant to act alongside due to smell of smoke, her media image, her voice change and even her overall wellness made her take the decision of tackling this habit. Thats the thing about Nicotine, once it lays down hooks on you, there no easy turning back unless until you try hard. She was a chain smoker up until 2007, then started to limit it but struggled with quitting still. She smoked for two decades and when started to quit had extreme withdrawal symptoms.

First, she tried with Electronic Cigarettes and then followed with nicotine replacements. These were partially helpful. Then she tried alternative methods to continue her journey of quitting. There comes the role of Yoga and the importance of mind and body and she switched a bad habit with a good one. The results improved drastically but again it alone could not help her with the withdrawal. Additionally surrounding herself with supportive family and friends was another good decision. Only years later with sheer determination and resolve, she successfully quit smoking and ever since she did it, she had to face a lot of media scrutiny on how she gained weight simply after stopping the habit. Years later she was openly communicating about how much effort it took from her side to quit the habit and became a strong example for others who are on the verge of quitting.

Although we say there are alternatives, like nicotine replacement therapy, E cigarette, patches, lifestyle changes like yoga, nothing alone can help you quit the addiction, without your presence of mind, determination, and persistence. Ever since then she is a vocal advocate for healthy living and never promoted unrealistic or restrictive approach to wellness. The once a curious thing, which most of our teenagers begin under peer pressure or so will gradually become a permanent part of their life. Over the past years many surveys showed a decrease in smoking among adults and increased smoking among school children. The detrimental effects of tobacco on health even though everyone is quite aware through many media interventions, school awareness programs and real-life incidents still does not motivate people to quit the habit. To break any habit external motivation is valid only till internal motivation persist. As Benjamin Franklin once said “Its better to prevent bad habits, than to break them “always try not to fall in the trap and if once fallen try to replace a bad habit like smoking with a good one.

The WHO theme for 2024 on World Tobacco Day is “PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TOBACCO INDUSTRY INTERFERENCE” , so lets stick to it ,to protect our youngsters and pledge to avoid tobacco in all forms to develop a smoke free generation .

Tobacco consumption has been proven to be one of the most common causative agents of oral cancer and related deaths worldwide. It has been identified as a prominent cause of non- communicable disease by the WHO (World Health Organisation) and considered as highest priority preventable component. Adoption of effective strategies are crucial for the eradication of the aftereffects which requires global collaboration and coordinated efforts. This article discusses briefly various existing international strategies and collaborations that has been adopted by nations worldwide.

FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL by WHO 

It is the first international public health treaty negotiated by the countries which involves measures to promote tobacco cessation and manage dependence. This was adopted in 2003 and signed by 182 countries. Furthermore, the treaty provides a framework for countries to adapt to implement effective control measures. It aims at control of tobacco consumption by adopting following policies:

1.Taxation- Raising the tobacco taxes and prices to reduce affordability.

2. Establish smoke free environments

3.Ban on advertisements to control promotion and sponsorship

4.Promote health warnings

5.develop anti-tobacco mass media campaigns.

GLOBAL TOBACCO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM  Collaborated by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is a in place to ensure and support the countries to design, implement and evaluate tobacco control measures and monitor the key articles of WHO’s FCTC. It policies aims at strengthening monitoring of tobacco epidemic by increasing efforts to control tobacco, promote research to identify and signify effective control programs and strengthen international partnerships.

PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANISATION

Aims at accelerating the implementation of FCTC by WHO by adopting similar measures such as provision of smoke-free environments, ban of advertisements, promoting technical cooperation among countries, strengthening partnerships. India is the seventh signatory in WHO’s FCTC as a part of which India has launched a pilot phase National Tobacco Control Program.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR TOBACCO CONTROL-A brief insight

These collaborations introduced various strategies like use of evidence-based medicines to enable quitting, implementing cessation services using existing infrastructure like toll-free quit line that were incorporated during COVID times. Implementation of these strategies however faces certain challenges from the tobacco industries who could try to slowdown the process of tobacco control by introducing alternative products such as e-cigarettes or smoke- free forms that is labelled as safer. Hence, a strong framework and alliances are required internationally and regionally to continue to educate, implement efficient management measures to achieve a goal of eradicating tobacco related morbidities.