IT WON'T BE ALL RIGHT!

Smoking is a health hazard.  Even children know this.  But people continue to smoke. This is probably because the diseases and dangers associated with smoking do not appear to affect smokers immediately.  And all smokers delude themselves that these diseases will not affect them and they relax, thinking that they have a whole life to live and that they can quit at any time.  But diseases invariably strike after 10-20 years.  And for those who started smoking in childhood, they come even sooner.

"I'll be spared," "someone else will fall ill, but not I" - these are very dangerous ideas.  It will not be ok, and smoking inevitably undermines health.  It is known that morbidity and mortality rates among smokers are always higher.  This holds true for both men and for women.  In many countries, the number of smokers is increasing.  Predominantly this is because women and children are starting to smoke - and Azerbaijan is no exception.  Today, on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, which is observed on 31 May, we deem it our duty to remind people once again that smoking is bad.  And if someone, even one person, makes the most important decision in his life after reading this article and quits smoking, we will consider our duty done.

State programme and agreed mechanism

Experts say that the number of tobacco-dependent people in Azerbaijan is rising, among other reasons because of the lack of a systemic fight against smoking here; the various events organised against smoking are only episodic and leave the impression of being just another campaign.  If it stays this way, the trend towards a rise in the number of smokers can only increase.

Hadi Racabli, member of the Milli Maclis and head of the Parliamentary Commission for Social Issues, noted in an interview with R+ that it is very difficult to dissuade a person from smoking.  Thus we have to spare no effort to prevent those who do not smoke - non-smokers, particularly children - from starting.  To achieve this, laws against smoking have to be stricter and social campaigns should be conducted.  "What is within our power?  We can increase the taxes on tobacco products.  Furthermore, cigarettes should be sold in specialized shops, away from medical, sports and educational facilities, and we need to create an appropriate coordinating centre at the Health Ministry.  Unfortunately, cigarettes are still sold to children in Azerbaijan, even though it is illegal to do so."

In the MP's view, success rates in preventing smoking in Azerbaijan are very low for one simple reason:  psycho-physiological aspects are not taken into account when tackling the problem.  If smoking is thought of as a bad habit, its elimination requires not only treatment, but also education in healthy life styles to challenge smokers' thinking, behaviour and consciousness.  As for gaps in the legal framework, although a Law on Tobacco and Tobacco Products is in force in the country, appropriate changes to the Administrative Code have not been made yet.  As a result, there is no state programme to coordinate the fight against smoking and allocate appropriate funding.

At present, the top priority of the Milli Maclis and the Parliamentary Committee for Social Policy in the fight against smoking is considering the Law on Restricting Smoking.  It will probably be enacted in the near future.  The document will take into account the medical, psychological, educational and social aspects of the fight against smoking.  But the most important clause will be a ban on smoking in public places.  "The draft law has 12 parts, and has already been agreed with the appropriate ministries and departments.  It specifically mentions the places where smoking will be banned.  These include seaport terminals, airports, bus stations, international routes, all types of public transport, cinemas, sports events, concert halls, educational and medical institutions, offices (smoking will only be allowed in specifically allocated areas - writer), restaurants, cafes, banquet halls and so forth.  In addition, the draft law includes provisions for propaganda against smoking.  "All the radio and TV channels will be under an obligation to broadcast educational programmes about addiction to tobacco and the hazards of smoking for at least 90 minutes a month.  The channels will include in their programming grid social advertising on the damage done by smoking to people's health.  And smoking-related episodes in feature or documentary films will be banned," said the MP.

Other benefits of the draft law include free consultation and psychological assistance at state-run healthcare institutions for people who wish to quit smoking.  At the same time, it remains unclear as to which organizations are to monitor enforcement of the law and what fines will be imposed on those who break the ban on smoking in public places.

Hadi Racabli said that in some countries, the above-mentioned issues are monitored either by the police or by the tax authorities.  "In our case, staff of the Centre for Hygiene and Epidemiology might be involved in this process.  Discussions are under way on this issue.  As for fines, in Europe fines for violating bans on smoking in public places range from 50 to 300 euro, in Turkey it is 69 lira.  I think that in our situation, a reasonable sum is AZN 50 for individuals and AZN 200 for legal entities.  But these are only tentative figures, reflecting the opinion of the working group which developed the draft law.  I think that strengthening these preventive measures will enable us to create a 'smokeless' environment for Azerbaijani children and adolescents," said Racabli.

Once again on hazards

Despite the various bans and laws, the number of smokers on the planet is not reducing.  Some psychologists believe that bans only make the forbidden fruit more attractive to children and adolescents.  But before they light up, let us offer more arguments against smoking.

When smoking a cigarette, a person voluntarily subjects herself to chronic poisoning which can eventually result in dozens of diseases, of which at least some are highly dangerous - myocardial infarction, stroke, gangrene of the lower extremities, arterial hypertension, lung and larynx cancer, lung sclerosis, chronic lung insufficiency, impotence and so forth.

Smokers harm not only themselves, they also have a negative impact on the health of people around them, including their relatives and children.  It has been proved that so-called "passive smoking" is as dangerous as active smoking.  A pregnant woman who smokes must know that her child is already doomed to be unhealthy and live 10 to 20 years fewer!  The average life expectancy of a smoker is 12 years shorter than that of a non-smoker.

When you inhale the smoke from your cigarette, it passes through the mouth and larynx and enters the lungs.  The smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical substances, including highly toxic substances which cause cancer:  formalin, benzene, arsenic and others.  These substances react with the tissues upon contact.  When the smoke reaches the lungs, it settles in the form of tars.  A large number of chemical substances enter the blood via the lungs.  Carbon monoxide - exactly the same as found in car exhaust - replaces some of the oxygen in the blood.  This causes oxygen deficiency in all tissues, including the brain.

One of the chemical components which enters the blood is nicotine.  Regular consumption results in nicotine dependence.  This is an alkaloid found in tobacco leaves (up to 2%) and some others plants.  It is absorbed from the smoke.  In small doses nicotine excites the nervous system but, in larger doses, it paralyses the nervous system, stops breathing and the heartbeat.  Regular use of small doses of nicotine during smoking causes nicotinism.  Nicotine sulphate is used as a pesticide.  This is why the law-makers of different countries, including Azerbaijan, fight so hard to prevent, or at least limit, smoking in their countries.

How to quit smoking

Despite the widespread opinion, cigarettes are no drug.  Practically every mentally healthy person can quit.  The most difficult part is the first day without a cigarette.  You will not know what to do with your hands, you will be hungry, sleepy and irritable.  Nicotine dependence, in contrast to alcohol or narcotics dependence, is quite weak, regardless of how long someone has been smoking.  Psychologists say that if you can manage 24 hours without cigarettes, you will not need them anymore.  The next day, something might push you towards a cigarette, but it will not be nicotine dependence.  The main thing then is to decide for yourself why you need them.  The stimuli which make one pick up a cigarette can be different:  peer pressure, the wish to "fit into" a smoking team, habit, the desire to adopt an impressive posture, idleness, nervousness and so on.  Every time the hand stretches out to take a cigarette, ask yourself:  "Why do I need this?"  When you answer the question, figure out a different, safer method to manage your irritation, to relax, or occupy your free time.