“I DON’T smoke but keep a match box in my pocket. When my heart slips towards a sin, I burn a match stick and heat my palm. Then I say to myself: Ali you can’t bear even this heat, how would you bear the heat of hell?” These are the words of the Champion Muhammad Ali, I have taken it out of context to say, “smoking is a sin”.

Indulging in this act contains so many harmful lethal chemicals: butane (lighter fluid), cadmium (batteries), stearic acid (candle wax), hexamine (barbecue lighter), toluene (industrial solvent), nicotine (insecticide), ammonia (toilet cleaner), acetic acid (vinegar), methane (sewer gas), arsenic (poison), methanol (rocket fuel) and carbon monoxide which destroy smokers lungs and kidneys failure to heart attacks.

Actually, it is a type of ‘self-chronic suicide’ and suicide is an unforgivable act in any universal religion. Let us say no to smoking like the late Champion, Muhammad Ali.

Sadar Aslam

Lahore

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2016