87.3 per cent of Keralites are non-smoking

Kannur: Keralite population is predominantly non-smoking: 87.3 percent of the population do not smoke and this figure is on a par with the index of several developed countries, said Dr KT Rekha, Deputy District Medical Officer, Kannur, and District Nodal Officer.

Dr Rekha was making the key note presentation at the district level inauguration of observing World No Tobacco Day. She said that according to the statistics of 2016-17, only 7.3 per cent were smokers and 3.4 per cent were smokers without inhaling smoke.

However, there is a flip side, she said, that in the age group between 15 and 17 habit of smoking is on the rise. She added that passive smokers - who get exposed to the smoke released by smokers - are as much vulnerable to the risks of smoking, as smokers themselves. It is mostly labourers who become such victims.

Of late, there have also been studies about those who turn third-hand smokers by touching objects used by smokers, or spending time in the rooms used by smokers and ty inhale harmful chemical into their lungs.

Regardless of the type, all smoking causes cardiac problems. It has been found that 12 per cent of cardiac diseases are caused by active or passive smoking. About 4,000 chemicals find entry into the human body through smoking, Dr Lekha pointed out.

The No Tobacco Day program was inaugurated by District Panchayath Standing Committee on Health and Education KP Jayapalan and was presided over by District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali. District Medical Oficer in Charge (Health) Dr MK Shaj gave the World No Tobacco Day message.