World No Tobacco day is celebrated on the 31st of May everywhere to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. According to WHO, tobacco kills more than 1 million people each year in India, accounting for 9.5% of all deaths
Tobacco consumptions has become the deadliest habit, its pungent claws not only cause harm to the lungs of those who smoke but also passive smokers. This World Tobacco Day there’s no better a gift you can give yourself and your loved ones than the promise to quit.
How does coronavirus impact smokers?
With the pandemic wreaking a havoc worldwide, those who are more vulnerable to be affected by the virus are smokers and they can suffer from severe conditions like lung cancer. Out of 1,099 patients who were infected with novel coronavirus and were admitted into ICU, 25.5% were smokers, according to a Chinese study published in February 2020.
Doctors have suggested that the reason why smokers were quick to suffer from various respiratory problems is due to the fact that smoking kills the preventive shield of airway called Cilia. Cilia is what keeps the airway clean by its tiny hair like structure that does not allow mucous or infectious agents to reach the lungs.
Additionally, smoking increases the ACE2 receptors in our bodies that are present on the surface of lungs, entire gut lining and the heart. These ACE2 receptors are what the COVID- 19 virus attaches itself to, thus with the absence if cilia and increased ACE2 receptors, this virus is able to invade the body far more easily.
Commit to quit!
Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths per year. If the pattern of smoking all over the globe doesn’t change, more than 8 million people a year will die from diseases related to tobacco use by 2030.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit. Although, quitting can be challenging, especially with the added social and economic stress that have come as a result of the pandemic, but there are a lot of reasons to quit:
- After just 20 minutes of quitting smoking, your heart rate drops.
- Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- Within 2-12 weeks, your circulation improves and lung function increases.
- Within 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
- Within 5-15 years, your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker.
- Within 10 years, your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker.
- Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is that of a non-smoker.
Commit to quit for a better you! Commit to quit for those around you!
