Cigarette smoking is dangerous to the health of both the young people and elderly. Tobacco contains the stimulant alkaloids nicotine leaves mainly used for making cigarettes and vaporisers. They can also be consumed as snuff.
Nearly all tobacco use begins during youth and progresses during young adulthood. Nearly nine out of 10 smokers start before the age of 18 and almost all start by age 26. Every adult who dies because of smoking is replaced by two or more new young smokers. If smoking continues at the current rate of 5.5 million or one out of every 15 of today’s children will ultimately die prematurely from a smoking related illness.
Tobacco use is a risk factor for many diseases, especially cancer. Smoking by youth and young adults can cause serious and potentially deadly health issues immediately and into adulthood. Young people who smoke are in dangers of addiction to nicotine, reduce lung function, reduce lung growth and early cardiovascular damage.
Prevention and cessation of tobacco does no matter what age a person is, smoking is dangerous to health and can be hard to give up nicotine addiction. It is easier to avoid starting tobacco in the first place than it is to quit later.
The Federal ministry of health are to encourage parents to talk to their kids about reasons to avoid tobacco use, and protect their children from secondhand smoke exposure and also to produce more brochure to help parents and teachers to keep children safe from the dangers of smoking.
Sule Rimamfate
Department of Mass Communication,
Faculty of Social Science,
University of Maiduguri.
