March 2, 2006

As far back as I can remember, I've been a smoker. I used to smoke in the bus, in my bedroom, in the bathroom, even at school. And today, as I sit in my circle of friends, I smoke just as much. It is something I cannot help doing, given that I grew up with so many smokers around me. The strange part is, I have never puffed on a cigarette.

When I first sat down to write on passive smoking almost everything sounded clichéd. We are all aware of the health hazards caused by passive smoking, and much has been written on the subject ad nauseum. But sadly, it doesn't seem to have made much headway towards concrete steps to sensitise the smokers against puffing in public places.

Workplaces are the most common example, where people smoke freely without giving care to the person sitting next to them, who is inevitably suffering the consequences.

As it is, workplaces in Pakistan are ill designed, with poor ventilation system that further aggravates the problem for non-smokers. At best you can develop a bad headache, at worst, lung cancer. Developing asthma is a pretty common complaint from passive smokers. Unfortunately, very few smokers are sensitive to their peer's problems, often regarding the whole scenario as a big joke.

What is even more alarming is that many smokers do not stop puffing cigarettes in sensitive places like hospitals, despite repeated requests from the authorities. Even schools are not spared. One of my earliest memories is watching my teacher puffing away in the staff room, which was adjacent to our classroom. I remember how stifling it would sometimes get when the stench and smoke permeated in adjoining rooms. Even today, after years of living with a smoker (my father), I still face difficulty sitting next to a person who is smoking.

If it is of any consolation, a few multinationals have now started discouraging their employees from smoking in public. Smokers are asked to move out to secluded corners or smoke chambers, where there is less chance of exposing other colleagues to health problems. But on the downside, as a friend rightly points out, people now waste a lot of time within those chambers, affecting the productivity of their work.

Nevertheless, this is definitely a step in the right direction, even if it is not -–– and cannot be -–– the final solution. The fact that smoking is a health hazard is something we are all aware of, and this includes the smokers as well. But unfortunately, every time you try telling a smoker to quit this habit, he/she falls in the, 'it's-my-life-and-not-your-problem' mode, putting an end to the conversation. What they do not realise is that it is not just their life. This habit will eventually effect a lot of loved ones, and I am not talking about passive smoking here.

It is a fact that a majority of smokers fall sick, courtesy smoking at some point of their lives. On the outset, it may seem like their personal problem -–– after all, it is their health that is deteriorating –– but the pain is felt equally by those around them. Every time a smoker suffers from a heart attack, it is not just him or her going through an ordeal, but the entire family.

It is a pity that people who puff their lives away do not understand their worth in our lives. Doctors say that each pack of cigarettes robs away a chunk of a smoker's life. If only these people would realise how much every moment of their life means to us who love them, and would never let them come in harm's way, then perhaps they will make the right choice and quit smoking.

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