By: Ajmal Meer Mehdi
Smoking is a serious and major problem of contemporary society, which ultimate destroys the health of students of universities. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Tobacco smoking causes annually 6 million deaths worldwide and is projected to exceed 8 million by 2030, according to statistics of WHO. A WHO report says that tobacco use is the second highest cause of deaths. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 100,000 people in Pakistan die due to the use of tobacco. To save the nation from undoing, we should produce awareness among youths about negative effects of smoking. Smoking socially or occasionally, is generally seen as safer particularly put side by side to people who smoke a pack a day or more.
In Pakistan, approximately 124,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases.
Youth is an important asset of our beloved country, on one hand youth is about 70 percentage of total population of Pakistan aged from 18 to 29, on other hand youth suffers from these type of harmful and death causing problem. The increasing number of diseases and deaths by tobacco smoking is a cause for concern. If this menace isn’t controlled, it can be harmful for the country’s health as well as its economy. More people are dying due to smoking than terrorism.
Tried and tested strategies of awareness campaign and graphic warning signs on packets have not done much and hence newer and better measures are required. Maximum awareness should be created on the negative effects of smoking on human health. Smoking will be the root cause of breathing diseases because it causes due lungs and stomach issues. Twenty-eight per cent youths of Pakistan are addicted to tobacco smoking. It has become a fashion for the students. About 1,000 to 1,200 college or university students smoke daily.
Smoking has several factors for adoption among students. Smokers used to release the tension and depression by smoking. There are some reasons of smoking like Symbol of elite class, availability of cigarettes in the market, to overcome the emotional problems, students use to smoke. Students are smoking some time because of study or academic stress, as they can feel relax and can do study well. It is determined all the necessary endorsements to seize the smoking in the premises of university among the students.
The stress relief, peer pressure, individual followed by media influence, domestic stress, social acceptance and group participants especially friends are some typically reasons of smoking among the students. Occupational stress is known to be one of the most common work-related health problems and those exposed to persistent high job strain may have a higher risk of major depression. In this research article it was concluded all the common factors behind the smoking among the students of university. Smoking is accelerated by friends of nonsmoker and societal norms which is pushing factor for smoking among the students, now days. While the cultural and traditional prohibitions along with customs are catalyst for this burning issue. Smoking among students is a behavior or attitude of students to button smoke in their way. There are some fundamental reasons that may be held responsible for the increase in this problem like joblessness, injustice, peer group influence, frustration. Societal norms have also made smoker and lung cancer and chronic diseases are also a side effect of smoking among students. Smoking is more common in youngsters including students. Lack of proper measures executed into suitable implementations at premises of university mold students to smoke, usually students smoke as fashion or standard of their class. Students commonly adopt to smoke from their friends at private place and when they become adoptive of smoking, they use to smoke in public and open gatherings. After adoption of smoke they use drugs in cigarettes and become drug user. Ultimately join and establish the friends use drugs via cigarettes. Parents are not playing their vital role to curb smoking among students but some time it overlaps smoking on nonsmokers in the name of ’freedom of individuals” and according to respondents, the parents must play their vital role positively and develop extra measures to prompt to check balance of their children. The education can play role for eradicating and end up smoking among the students and can develop positive attitude and behavior among the students. The friends are contributing the smoking in students by not paying attention on study and their carelessness made their friends into smokers.
An anti-smoking campaign should be driven in the University for the Consciousness of the student regarding the harmful consequences of smoking. Smoking should be banned in the premises of the University as well as its sale. Smoking is adverse to health; therefore, all the sponsors should play their corresponding role to seize this profanity on various campuses. Meritocracy must be observed in students’ assessment across the university. Government as well as non-governmental organizations must plan road map to promote health awareness among students. Students’ friendly environment is need of time. The policy makers must develop road map to facilitate students. Government and other universities must organized research to analyze level of smoking among students on national level. Injustice and bad governance must be abolished. Otherwise, the government as well as society is prepared for participation of students in smoking or drug abuse activities. There must be a strict code of conduct for students regarding smoking and university must observe students friendly environment in its programs as well as participation of students in routine activities of different university. Cradle is the basic socialization institute of every human.
