WE live in a country where smoking ‘sheesha’ and cigars, and chewing nicotine-derived products in the form of nicotine patches are attributed to having higher social standing. What starts as a show of wealth eventually ends up in nicotine addiction.

Many people argue that cigarette alternatives are not as harmful as one thinks. This makes me wonder why most people tend to smoke when their children are away. Smoking not only harms the active smokers, but also takes a toll on the health of people being subject to passive smoking. While nicotine patches may not cause passive smoking, their frequent promotion on mainstream and social media could lead the young to try them, which could get them addicted to nicotine.

This is why I believe anything even remotely associated with nicotine should not be promoted at all, and awareness regarding its noxious impacts must be spread at all levels through all mediums.

Sobia Waseem
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2021