Page 23 - PR Communication Age January 2016

SECOND-HAND
SMOKE IS EQUALLY
DANGEROUS
S ohum Banerjee (name
changed), a retired bank
manager, who lives alone and
has attempted suicides three
times in the last two years. His life was Arnab Gupta, director and cancer
not this gloomy until his wife died six
years ago and his son swore never to
see his face again. Banerjee was a
chain smoker and the poison left his
life devastated. His wife was diagnosed
with lung cancer after 24 years of
marriage and doctors stated that it
was caused by the years of smoke she
was exposed to.
“Living with the memory of her death
is unbearable. Even my son has stopped
speaking to me. After she has passed
away, I have not seen my grandchild
growing up,” lamented Banerjee.
Second-hand smoke is smoke from
burning tobacco products, such as
cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.
Secondhand smoke is also smoke that
is exhaled, or breathed out, by the
person smoking. Tobacco smoke
contains many chemicals, including
hundreds that are toxic and about 70
that can cause cancer.
“Whenever we find a patient, who is a
non- smoker and is diagnosed with lung
“We believe PR should be practiced to serve the public interest, to develop mutual understanding between
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cancer, maximum chances are that
person has been a victim of second
hand smoking. What is worse is that
the numbers are increasing,” said Dr
surgeon in Saroj Gupta Cancer Center
and Research Institute.
Gupta added, “Mostly affected are
housewives and children, who are the
most exposed to it. Actually, the
smoker gets the filtered smoke while
he puffs in which is absent for the
passive smokers. Due to restrictions of
smoking in public places, smokers find
their home as the only place to smoke.
It will not harm if done in open air but Nirmalya Mukherjee, director,
in enclosed room, regular inhaling of
the unfiltered smoke could lead to
cancer.”
One must remain most cautious during
pregnancy as the smoke is dangerous
to the developing baby. It can cause
premature delivery, low birth weight,
SIDS, limited mental ability, trouble
with learning.
It is found that a regular smoker
inhales only 15% of the nicotine, while
85% is exhaled making others exposed.
According to The Global Youth
Tobacco Survey (GYTS), 50% students
organizations and their publics.”
PR COMMUNICATION AGE January 2016 23
live in homes where others smoke and
over two thirds are exposed to smoke
in public places in Kolkata. The Global
Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India
showed that 62.4% of adults are
exposed to second hand smoke at
home while 29.8% in public places in
the West.
“The only solution is to remove it from
the root and its quite a monumental
task. To achieve it, we need
cooperation from the government. In
a place, where 5,500 adults try
smoking every day, the job to
eradicate it is becoming difficult,” said
planning of Manbhum Ananda Ashram
Nityananda Trust (MANT).
MANT, a national NGO, is now working
with support from the International
Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung
Disease, South-East. The organisation
mainly works in facilitating the
enforcement of Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products Act 2003 and its
subsequent rules in Purulia, Bankura,
West Midnapore , Howrah and
Kolkata. Mukherjee continued,
“Smoking is so socially acceptable that
raising awareness against taking up
this habit has become quite a tough