WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2025

Today, every corner of the world faces the growing threat of drug abuse. Unfortunately, many people turn to drugs without genuine reasons—forgetting that no problem ever finds a solution in addiction.

- SAHIL MANZOOR

Drugs, including tobacco, are not alternatives to stress, failure, or despair. Vigilant individuals never gamble with their lives in the face of hardship. A smart person is one who confidently says no to drugs, and a vigilant one is someone who outrightly rejects tobacco and all its related products.

It is deeply unfortunate that, in our country, tobacco products are often glamorized by celebrities. These endorsements should be banned. Additionally, movies and media must portray the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in a negative light to deter viewers from adopting such harmful habits.

Smoking remains one of the most dangerous public health hazards of our time. Tobacco, a plant belonging to the nightshade family, is cultivated for its leaves, which are dried and processed into products like cigarettes and cigars. These products are loaded with toxins—about 4,000 chemicals in total, including 43 known carcinogens such as polycyclic hydrocarbons, ammonia, formaldehyde, and oxides of nitrogen. One of the most lethal among them is carbon monoxide, a gas that significantly reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, harming vital organs in smokers.