What are the measures to solve the problem of Smoking?

There are certain social and individual measures to solve the problem of smoking.

Social Measures

1. Education and Awareness

Since the teenagers are more prone to the habit of smoking, the school and college syllabus should contain lessons on the harmful effects of smoking. Programmes of awareness like ‘Quit Smoking’ should be held in schools and colleges. Apart from this the shops who sale bids and cigarettes nearby schools and colleges should be closed down immediately.

2. Ban on Smoking at Public Places

Smoking at public places is banned but is not strictly implemented. Hence strict implementation of such a rule is the need of the hour.

3. High Taxation on Smoking Items

Bidis, Cigarettes, chillum, hookah etc should be taxed on large scale. This will make the people to think twice before buying such items.

4. Strict Control on Advertisements

The mass media like radio, television, internet, newspapers should not publish advertisements related to smoking which glorifies the habit. Such advertisements should be banned and condemned by the public. Court Case should be filed against those mass medias which publishes such kind of advertisements.

5. Statutory Warning

Generally the statutory warning printed on the packet of cigarette is in small and light font. This warning is to in large and bold font. The one-fourth of the cigarette packet should contain this warning. It should be in Hindi, English and regional language of the state. For example, in Maharashtra it should be in Hindi, English and Marathi.

6. Responsibility of the Elites

The High Class Elite society should shoulder the responsibility of spreading awareness about the harmful effects of cigarettes. The doctors, professors, teachers, advocates, police, movie actors, sportsperson etc should propogate the harmful effects of smoking in the society as they have a very good influence on the society

7. Role of NGO’s

The NGO’s should carry out programmes of welfare for the addicts. Such NGO’s should receive proper funding from the government.

Personal Measures

• If the smoker himself decides to quit smoking once for all, then with this confidence and trust in himself, he will be able to give up smoking.
• The smoker can slowly and steadily reduce the habit of smoking. One by one he can decrease the use of cigarettes.
• The smoker can use those cigarettes which contains lesser amount of nicotine.
• If the smoker takes counseling from doctors and psychologists then this will help them to have a control over their addiction.
• Yoga, meditation, reading of good books, social service will keep the smoker engaged in good things and this will distract his attention from smoking.
• The smoker should not wait for any particular day i.e., a muhurat, to quit smoking because such day never comes. The moment he decides he should begin his efforts to quit.