Rising KashmirRising KashmirRising Kashmir
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022

Categories

  • Anchor
  • Breaking
  • Business
  • City
  • Developing Story
  • Editorial
  • Education
  • Features
  • Health
  • Interview
  • Jammu
  • Jammu and Kashmir News
  • Kashmir
  • Kashmir Tourism
  • Kath Bath
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Viewpoint
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Tobacco: A serious health threat
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Search
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • Kashmir
    • City
    • Jammu
    • Politics
  • Health
  • Anchor
  • Features
  • Interview
  • Video
Follow US
© 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Rising Kashmir > Blog > Viewpoint > Tobacco: A serious health threat
Viewpoint

Tobacco: A serious health threat

There is a dire need to held more awareness public campaigns to sensitize the society towards the ill effects of smoking

DR. TASADUK HUSSAIN ITOO
Last updated: October 3, 2024 12:47 am
DR. TASADUK HUSSAIN ITOO
Published: October 3, 2024
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

As per recent data by WHO, across the globe around 3.5 million hectares of land are converted for tobacco production each year, besides that growing tobacco also contributes to deforestation of around 2 lakh hectares of land per year.

 

As per another statement from WHO, tobacco growing is resource intensive and requires heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers, which contribute to soil degradation, besides that the land used for tobacco growing has a lower capacity for growing other crops, such as any food — since tobacco depletes soil fertility. And, compared with other agricultural activities such as maize growing and even livestock grazing — tobacco farming has a far more destructive impact on ecosystems as tobacco farmlands are more prone to desertification.

 

One of the importantnegative impacts of tobacco growing and production is that it exacerbates food insecurity — which is emerging as a global issue of social cum public health concern — that needs serious attention and redressal. While food is one of the most essential requirements for the sustenance of human life, there are millions of people worldwide who couldn’t afford a healthy diet and fulfill the need for regular access to nutritious food.

 

The developmental, economic, social, and medical impacts of the global burden of food insecurity are serious and lasting for individuals, families, communities and countries. Having said, unhealthy diets and poor nutrition are among the top risk factors for diet-related non-communicable diseaes including cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, and diabetes.

 

One of the important consequences of rising food insecurity is the development of malnutrition in general and undernutrition in particular – in all its forms (includingwasting, stunting, underweight, inadequacy/deficiency of vitamins and minerals).

 

While every country in the world is affected by one or more forms of malnutrition – the major impact is found to occur in middle and low income countries, including India. As a result, combating malnutrition in all its forms is becoming one of the serious global health challenge. Undernutrition makes children in particular much more vulnerable to disease and death.

 

Generally speaking, all age groups are at risk of malnutrition — women, infants, children, and adolescents. Poverty amplifies the risk – people who are poor are more likely to be affected by different forms of malnutrition. Moreover, malnutrition increases health care costs, reduces productivity, and slows economic growth, which can accentuate a cycle of poverty and ill-health.

 

Secondly, the most disastrous consequences of tobacco growing and production are its associated health risks directly or indirectly. For example, the intensive handling of insecticides and toxic chemicals during the cultivation of tobacco is attributed to cause ill health among many farmers and their families.

 

Smoking tobacco poses multiple health risks to human body and development of multiple disease conditions, besides posing a threat to living beings around us, including the environment we live in. And smoking tobacco is the crucial cause of diseases of almost every organ system of the human body most common being lung cancers, stroke and heart diseases, including other lifestyle diseases. We could see rising incidence of such medical conditions nowadays — one of the prominent risk factor being smoking tobacco.

 

More importantly, exposure to second-hand smoke raises the risk — by as much as 30 percent — that others will get lung cancer and many other types of cancer, besides pose a risk for development of heart diseases. Moreover, chewing tobacco use is also a risk factor for the development of oral cancers , gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and have possible links to other cancers as well.

 

To address the problem, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control offers specific principles and policy options on the promotion of economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers, growers and individual sellers– to move into the production of alternative sustainable food crops, and on enhancing protection of the environment and the health of people.

 

Moreover, the campaign focuses on to acknowledge governments and policy-makers to step up legislation, develop suitable policies and strategies, and enable market conditions for tobacco farmers to shift to growing sustainable food crops that would provide them and their families with a better life. And, the land used to grow tobacco could be more efficiently used to achieve United NationsSustainable Development Goals like SDG 2 (to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) and SDG 3 (to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages).

 

More to say, there is a dire need to held more awareness public campaigns to sensitize the society towards the ill effects of smoking(and chewing) tobacco on human body, our environment and other living beings and to ensure the ways for its prevention.

 

(Author is Researcher/Columnist/medical doctor. Feedback: [email protected])

Of Wagh Nakh & Dandpatta: Maharashtra’s Lead in Heritage Conservation
Ecological ethics and contemporary environmental problems
The Enduring Legacy of Pashmina: A Tale of Artistry, Tradition, and Challenges
Pulses: Bringing Diversity to Agri-food Systems
Honouring the Wisdom of Age

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Copy Link Print
Previous Article The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir: Anticipating a coalition government
Next Article Crafting Careers: Opportunities through the PM Internship Scheme
Leave a Comment Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

1MFollowersLike
262kFollowersFollow
InstagramFollow
234kSubscribersSubscribe
Google NewsFollow

Latest News

Pak violated airspace, used Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models: Col Qureshi
Top Stories
May 10, 2025
India thwarts 26 drone intrusions by Pak, foils attacks on Sgr Airport, Awantipora base
Top Stories
May 10, 2025
Drone attack on Jammu, Udhampur & Kathua foiled
Top Stories
May 10, 2025
PM chairs meeting with Rajnath Singh, NSA, CDS, service chiefs
Top Stories
May 10, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Pak violated airspace, used Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models: Col Qureshi
  • India thwarts 26 drone intrusions by Pak, foils attacks on Sgr Airport, Awantipora base
  • Drone attack on Jammu, Udhampur & Kathua foiled
  • PM chairs meeting with Rajnath Singh, NSA, CDS, service chiefs
  • Amit Shah reviews border, airport security in high-level meeting

Recent Comments

  1. SavePlus on AI and Behavioural Analytics in Gaming: Making the World of Gaming Better
  2. Parul on Govt acknowledges faulty streetlights on Narbal-Tangmarg road
  3. dr gora on Women Veterinarians and the Goal of Viksit Bharat
  4. jalwa game login on National Education Policy 2020: Transforming India’s Educational System
  5. Virender Bhat on Pahalgam Attack: A War on Humanity, Peace, and Kashmiriyat

Contact Us

Flat No 7,Press Enclave, Srinagar, 190001
0194 2477887
9971795706
[email protected]
[email protected]

Quick Link

  • E-Paper
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Top Categories

Stay Connected

1.06MLike
262.5kFollow
InstagramFollow
234.3kSubscribe
WhatsAppFollow
Rising KashmirRising Kashmir
Follow US
© 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?