ESSAY

ON THE TOPIC

“TOBACCO FREE GENERATION NEXT”

Life is the most wonderful and the most beautiful gift given to us by God. Most people
cherish this gift very much. However, some people make this gift ugly by getting themselves
intoxicated with things like tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco is a substance which not only makes
the beautifully-gifted life ugly but also destroys it completely. Despite the fact that this
generation is touching new dimensions in progress and development, it is still in the grip of
tobacco consumption. In modern society, tobacco consumption is considered as a symbol of a
certain lifestyle, an ‘acceptable’ habit to ‘fit in’. Today, tobacco is one of the most widely used
drugs in the world and India is the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco. According
to a report from the World Health Organisation, more than 6 million people in the world are
dying every year due to tobacco consumption. If people continue to consume tobacco in the
same way, this figure will even cross a billion in the coming years. We need to make efforts and
we need to know what may be the possible reasons for excessive tobacco consumption in this
generation so that we can come up with solutions to achieve a tobacco free generation next.

In this present generation, the situation of tobacco consumption in India is more complex
than any other country in the world with the use of a variety of smoking and smokeless tobacco
products and a number of mixtures. As per a recent study conducted by the American Cancer
Society, almost 30 % of the Indian population in the age group of 15 years and above use some
form of tobacco. The superfluous belief that ‘men are not men unless they smoke’, is broken by
available statistics that show that 16.6 % of women use and abuse tobacco. With changing
societal norms and more financial independence of women, the number of female smokers has
significantly increased. According to an estimate, there are about 1.35 million deaths in India
every year due to consumption of tobacco and experts say that if awareness in not spread
towards the use of tobacco, then by the year 2030, the number of deaths due to tobacco use will
increase to 8 million per year. This, I feel, is a staggering number of precious lives lost due to
something that can be easily prevented.

Tobacco use has impacted people from all spheres of life and of different ages. On
average, people who smoke die about 10 years earlier than people who don’t. Tobacco
consumption leads to many diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes,
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. In some cases, tobacco addicted people also
lose the power of smell and taste. Tobacco contains a very dangerous chemical substance called
“Tar” which contains cancer causing particles, and damages the lungs by narrowing the
bronchioles that absorb oxygen. Now, the consumption of tobacco has become so dangerous
that its effect is visible on the next generation as well. According to scientists, if a tobacco user
has asthma then it is possible that the next generation will also have the same disease. Even the
immune system can be weakened due to continuous consumption of tobacco. Second hand
smokers or passive smokers are made victims by their ‘friends’, ‘family’ or ‘loved ones’ when they
are involuntarily present in the vicinity of smokers.
 Today, the number of young people consuming tobacco is increasing day by day. The
appealing nature of smoke or smokeless tobacco products has rooted from celebrities endorsing
the same. This is ironically one of the reasons why individuals, young individuals to be precise,
use tobacco. Young people emulate and look up to certain celebrities, sportspersons, artists, etc.
and this makes them blind to reality and their decision is obviously swayed by their loyalty
towards their idols. Apart from this, there are still many reasons why young people are getting
addicted to tobacco some of which are unemployment, depression, family issues, bad company
effects, showing off, etc. According to a survey, tobacco addiction starts at a young age. Most of
the young people initially use tobacco as a fashion but gradually become addicted to tobacco.
Apart from this, today in India, the youth is facing the problem of unemployment due to which
they are becoming victims of mental stress. Thus, to reduce stress they are getting attracted
towards tobacco. In tobacco, there is a substance called “Nicotine” which gives relief to the
consuming person for some time but slowly pushes towards death. Also, the women of our
country are getting addicted to tobacco in large number because of gender inequality, bad
behaviour of society and family violence. Apart from this, today we see in many movies and TV
shows that smoking and tobacco products are freely used by many actors and for awareness they
just write in a small corner of the screen “Smoking is injurious to health”. But, in reality, they are
indirectly influencing youngsters to consume tobacco. Isn’t it obvious then, a tobacco free
generation next is impossible if today’s youth, who will be the next generation, is mentally strung
and wired to believe that tobacco use is acceptable?

However, the obstinate nature of the way young people think can still be corrected and
remedied. Steps to protect the youth and the next generation from the evil effects of tobacco
can be taken extensively. The best way to do this is ‘Awareness’ and for this, every year on 31st
May, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated. The Indian Government through the Health Ministry
has set up guidelines for Tobacco Free Educational Institutions and this is one step forward to
building a future generation which abstains from tobacco use. There is a saying that says, “If you
want to change the future, you have to start with the present”. So, if we want to achieve a tobacco
free generation, we have to start with ourselves. If someone around us consumes tobacco
products, it is our duty to make him or her aware of the danger and the harmful effects of
tobacco. “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with
great love, and together we can do something wonderful” – Mother Teresa. We have to help all
those people who want to quit tobacco so that they can improve their present and future lives
as well.

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Name: M. Amebari Nongsiej

Class: XII (Science)

School: Anderson Higher Secondary School

Mobile Number: 8415019343

Email ID: amebarinongsiej01@gmail.com