THE revelation by the Zambia Heart and Stroke Foundation (ZHSF) that youths in the country are abusing tobacco makes sad reading.
It is evidently clear that youths in the country have resorted to spending many hours indulging in various illicit activities such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The reason advanced that the youth are forced to engage in these vices because of the various hardships they encounter in their daily lives does not hold water.
In order to have access to alcohol and drugs, one has to have money to purchase the items.
It’s clear from the onset that those youths engaged in these activities are from averagely well to do families who have potential to excel in life.
But because of misplaced priorities, they end up indulging in illicit activities which jeopardise their future.
In the story we carry in this week’s edition, ZHSF President Fastone Goma has observed that the increased abuse of tobacco among the young people could result into escalating health problems in Zambia.
These effects of tobacco abuse will not manifest now but later on which will be costly to the individuals and the country at large.
The damage tobacco causes to the health of people is irreversible and costly to treat.
It is therefore timely that our youths refrain from abusing tobacco and other drugs so that they remain fit and be able to take up their role in contributing to national development instead of spending much of their time visiting hospitals as a result of drug abuse.
According to health experts, Tobacco is an addictive substance because it contains the chemical nicotine.
It further contains more than 19 known cancer-causing chemicals (most are called “tar.”)
In as much as tobacco is a source of income, youths should not abuse it as it has serious ramifications which are hard to contain.
When used over a long period, tobacco and related chemicals, such as tar and nicotine, can increase ones risk of many health problems.
Tobacco can cause heart and blood vessel problems such as blood clots and aneurysms in the brain, which can lead to stroke.
It can also cause lung, kidney, pancreas, mouth and larynx cancer.
Knowing the serious health risks should help motivate the youths who are in the habit of abusing tobacco to quit before it is too late.
The youth need to adapt to healthy life styles so that they can be healthy and be able to contribute to the social and economic growth of the country.
Sniffing tobacco or excessive smoking should be avoided at all cost.