MULTAN: Among youth aged 15 to 24 years, there has been a 110% increase in scenes featuring tobacco in popular shows, often portraying smoking in a glamorous manner. The prevalence of smoking among young people continues and in some countries, it is increasing, said Cancer Society President Dr Ahmed Ijaz Masood. In a statement ahead of World Tobacco Day falling on May 31, he said that globally, an estimated 38 million boys and girls aged 13 to 15 use or consume tobacco products, "Nicotine is especially harmful to developing brains.
" Tobacco products, including branded promotional materials, and particularly hookah and e-cigarettes, which are very popular among the younger generation, are more dangerous than cigarettes, he explained. These tactics by the tobacco industry hook youth into a lifelong addiction. ”If you don’t quit smoking, your cancer will,” Dr Ahmed warned.
He said that smoking is a major curse in our society, involving cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs, beedis, betel leaves, areca nuts, gutka, and snuff. These are the worst substances that bring a person closer to death, he added. There is a dire need to create awareness and educate people about their harmful effects, Dr Masood said, adding that Tobacco Day is celebrated to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the deaths and diseases it causes.
Smoking leads to over 8 million deaths annually worldwide, he noted. He said that the aim of this day is to curb the widespread use of tobacco and ass.
