Saying no to smoking

Almost everyone knows that smoking causes life-threatening diseases like cancer, emphysema and heart diseases and shortens lives by ten years or more. Also, this habit can cost smoker a big chunk of money each year from buying cigarettes. Then why are people still lighting up? The answer is addiction. Youngsters start smoking because they think it looks cool; while others may smoke because they have seen their friends and relatives do the same. Statistics tell that 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before the age of 18. They soon become addicted to nicotine, and it eventually becomes impossible to give up later in life.

To all the tobacco addicts out there, you are not only putting your life at stake but also endangering the health of your loved ones. Medical evidence has proven that second-hand smoking is so fatal that it can even hinder growth and development in children. So stop, put down your cigarette and save yourself and the people you love.

Shahjahan Sirazi,

Malibagh, Dhaka,

mshaju001@gmail.com