Puff, puff, Phu

JUN 26 -

The price of lighting up can be high, especially if you are in Phu VDC in Manang. For four decades, Phu has banned cigarettes. Shops can be fined as much as Rs 100,000 for selling them, although no one has been fined so far because both residents and visitors have dutifully obeyed the rule. Locals say that the village became smoke-free in 1971. That was the year a Tibetan Lama came to the village and, seeing that the people suffered from smoking-related diseases, introduced an unofficial ban on cigarettes. Justifying his ban, the Lama is supposed to have said that “smoking is a habit that will be discouraged only if one does not smoke.” The words of wisdom of the Lama are certainly worth internalising, not only because cigarettes are responsible for thousands of deaths every year but also because cigarettes contain one of the most addictive substances, nicotine, which makes kicking the habit hard. However, quitting smoking is certainly not impossible, as proven e veryday by many who choose to quit.

For a long time people thought cigarette smoking was a cool and manly thing to do. That however changed, as the dangers of smoking became well documented. These findings were in fact suppressed by cigarette companies until the 1960s to keep their profits up. The closely guarded ‘secret’ was eventually out and the biggest cigarette companies of the world, including Philip Morris, paid billions of dollars to settle class-action lawsuits brought out against them by consumers in the 1990s. As the markets in the US and the Western world declined, however, tobacco companies expanded their reach overseas into developing countries where regulations were weak. Nevertheless, as the health hazards of smoking became better known, governments around the world have brought out progressive laws banning its advertisement. In Nepal, too, thankfully, all tobacco advertising is outlawed. In August last year, the government also banned smoking in all public places including restaura nts, hotels, airports, government offices and public transport. The government decree also included fines of Rs 100 for first-time offenders and up to Rs 100,000 for repeat offenders. The implemented aspect of the law, however, leaves much room for improvement. More importantly, the government has failed to implement the law that requires cigarette companies to display pictorial health warning on cigarette packets.

Curbing smoking is also the responsibility of the individual. Since, according to the World Health Organization, cigarette dependence is “a combination of behavioral, cognitive and physiological phenomena,” few individuals succeed in quitting in their first attempt. It is therefore essential to keep reminding smokers of the hazards of smoking while advertising the benefits of quitting. Still, sometimes the cravings seem unbearable to resist. In such instances, those trying to quit smoking would do well to remember the five Ds of quitting. When the desire becomes strong, one should delay (even for a short while), drink water, take deep breaths, do something different and discuss the craving with another person.

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/06/26/editorial/puff-puff-phu/356175/