Education plays a pivotal role in the development of a society. Any society largely depends on its educated class and students. A society passes through various vicissitudes and reaches to a set standard. Universities students very efficiently and effectively present their role in the socio-logical development but there are certain factors which effect the intellectual development of the students and smoking is one of them. Students in the universities of Pakistan, besides other activities, are inclined towards smoking. These habits deviates them from their primary objectives of learning and moulding their personalities according to the desired objectives; hence fall short of contributing in the societal development.
Smoking is a serious and major problem of contemporary society, which ultimate destroys the health of students of universities. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Tobacco smoking causes annually 6 million deaths worldwide and is projected to exceed 8 million by 2030, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO). A WHO report says that tobacco use is the second highest cause of deaths. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 100,000 people in Pakistan die due to the use of tobacco. To save the nation from undoing, we should produce awareness among youths about negative effects of smoking. Smoking socially or occasionally, is generally seen as safer particularly put side by side to people who smoke a pack a day or more.
In Pakistan, approximately 124,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases. Our health professionals as well as electronic and print media must educate the public on the health risks associated with smoking. Smoking must be discouraged in order to maintain the students’ life as well make them healthy to produce good results. Students have made it fashionable to smoke in everyday life; even they know that smoking some serious heart, blood problems and cancer as well.
Youth is an important asset of our beloved country, on one hand youth is about 70 percentage of total population of Pakistan aged from 18 to 29, on other hand youth suffers from these type of harmful and death causing problem. The increasing number of diseases and deaths by tobacco smoking is a cause for concern. If this menace isn’t controlled, it can be harmful for the country’s health as well as its economy. More people are dying due to smoking than terrorism. Carbon monoxide from a cigarette enters the blood stream and eliminates oxygen in the body, while nicotine enters the brain via the nasal passage and lungs and causes difficulty in breathing and affects the brain.
Tried and tested strategies of awareness campaign and graphic warning signs on packets have not done much and hence newer and better measures are required.
Maximum awareness should be created on the negative effects of smoking on human health. Smoking will be the root cause of breathing diseases because it causes due lungs and stomach issues. Pakistan is top fourth ranked in smoking as stated in Dawn newspaper. Twenty-eight per cent youths of Pakistan are addicted to tobacco smoking. It has become a fashion for the students. About 1,000 to 1,200 college or university students smoke daily. “Most people know that using tobacco causes cancer and lung disease, but many people aren’t aware that tobacco also causes heart disease and stroke – the world’s leading killers,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement smoking is commonly found among students of University. Tobacco use via cigarettes frequently in students, some of them doing occasionally with the passage of time, they become addicted will ultimately faces health issues.
The stress relief, peer pressure, individual followed by media influence, domestic stress, social acceptance and group participants especially friends are some typically reasons of smoking among the students. Occupational stress is known to be one of the most common work-related health problems and those exposed to persistent high job strain may have a higher risk of major depression. In this research article it was concluded all the common factors behind the smoking among the students of university. Smoking is accelerated by friends of nonsmoker and societal norms which is pushing factor for smoking among the students, now days There are some fundamental reasons that may be held responsible for the increase in this problem like joblessness, injustice, peer group influence, frustration.
An anti-smoking campaign should be driven in the universities for the consciousness of the student regarding the harmful consequences of smoking. Smoking should be banned in the premises of the university as well as its sale. Smoking is adverse to health; therefore, all the sponsors should play their corresponding role to seize this profanity on various campuses. Meritocracy must be observed in students’ assessment across the university. Government as well as non-governmental organisations must plan a road map to promote health awareness among students. Students’ friendly environment is the need of time. The policy makers must develop road map to facilitate students. Government and other universities must be organised to research and analyse the level of smoking among students on national level. Injustice and bad governance must be abolished. Otherwise, the government as well as society is prepared for participation of students in smoking or drug abuse activities. There must be a strict code of conduct for students regarding smoking and university must observe students friendly environment in its programs as well as participation of students in routine activities of different university. Cradle is the basic socialisation institute of every human. Parents must understand their duties. Students friendly policies must be introduced by universities and introduced policies must be executed systematically. While non-government organisations must play their role to involve students in different university programs and launch programs for sensitization of students on different policy level issues. Meritocracy must be utilised in country to save the future of country. \ Government and university administration should address this issue on its first priority.
The writer s a freelance journalist.