• THE ever-increasing indulgence of youths into smoking is a cause for concern in society.

By HARBGUY MWAMBAZI –

THE increase in smoking amongst Zambian teenagers has raised concern within society and people are wondering how this problem can be fought off.
This  has been noticed among today’s  young generation of both boys and girls.
Smoking is the action or habit of  exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug and it is known to cause indisposition. Tobacco is the single most important cause of chronic morbidity in the developed world, which has now spread to the southern regions of Africa.
Smoking is the leading cause of cancers, chronic obstructive airways diseases and cardiovascular mortality.
Cigarette smoking among adolescents is of public health importance as this tends to be addictive in nature.
Adolescent smokers are also likely to be truant  at school, an experience that may further jeopardise their future life chances.
Mike Mwansa, a teacher based in Lusaka said the increase in teenage smoking is not only worrying but also a danger to their future endeavours as well.
“Seeing most teenagers engaging in smoking is very disturbing, especially those that are still young and in secondary school. These activities of smoking drugs like dagga for example,  destroy their future as most of them will end up dropping out of school with nothing else  to do,” he said.
Mr Mwansa said his school had taken stiff action against pupils found smoking tobacco or dagga. If found, such pupils face suspension or expulsion from school.
A couple of days ago,   there was news from Mpulungu, saying some youths under the influence of strong drugs were terrorising local villagers and farmers.
It was believed that these youths partook in the smoking of a controlled drug before they resorted to  social vice.
It is sad that some youths in society embark on such self-destructive paths and break the law without any fear.
The incident in Mpulungu may be prevalent in other parts of the country as more teenagers seem to be having easy access to cigarettes or other controlled substances.
The question that begs an answer is, how is it that young people are easily accessing substances to smoke and what is being done to  minimise the problem?
Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila has challenged the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to come up with effective mechanisms that will help combat the flow of illicit drugs and controlled substances to the young people.
Mr Mwila urged DEC to expedite the process of reviewing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act to help capture new developments relating to abuse of illicit drugs.
Mr Mwila said the revised law should take into account all the inadequacies the commission has observed in the old law to help follow international standards in the fight against illicit drugs.
The minister’s challenge to the commission shows some level of awareness of the matter at hand as regards the fight against illicit drugs within society.
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) has for quite some time now spearheaded the growing interest in estimating the prevalence of tobacco use by adolescents.
The 2014 research study carried out by GYTS conducted in Kafue and Lusaka showed the prevalence of current cigarette smoking and associated factors amongst teenagers.
This study revealed that 30 per cent of teenagers in school with an average of six pupils in Kafue smoked cigarettes on a regular basis, whereas in Lusaka,  results showed a figure as high as 40 per cent of teenagers in school with an average of 10 pupils who smoke cigarettes.
This study showed that the practice of smoking was gaining popularity amongst teenagers, not only school going pupils but school leavers as well.
This information is important in the design and  implementation of public health interventions aimed at preventing use of tobacco by adolescents in particular, and overall health promotion among this population group.
Long-term health consequences of smoking among youths are reinforced by the fact that most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood.
Cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than those persons who have never smoked. Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth.
It has been said that smoking hurts young people’s physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance, even among young people trained in competitive running.
David Simbeye, a university student in Lusaka said that, smoking reduced his fitness levels in sport and made it difficult for him to concentrate during his high school years.
“I usually play football on weekends, but after some years of serious smoking tobacco, I noticed that I couldn’t run as fast as I would any more. My lips got darker and my heart began to pump faster than it used to before I started smoking.
“My performance at school had dropped due to the influence of the drugs I use to smoke. On a regular day I would smoke one packet and a half of cigarettes as it seemed to be a normal routine in life,” he said.
He said medical check-ups done by various doctors led to his cutting down on cigarette smoking as it almost entirely ruined his body and educational prospects.
He further urged teenagers to abstain from smoking any kind of drugs as the habit would not only interfere with their health but their educational opportunities as well.
DEC commissioner Alita Mbahwe said the commission arrested 5, 832 people for drug related offences last year, depicting an increase of 14.3 per cent from 5, 102 arrested in 2013.
Ms Mbahwe said the commission will continue working hard in creating a safe, secure and peaceful Zambia by combating use of illicit drugs and human trafficking in the country.
One might argue that smoking and the use of drugs are issues beyond teenagers because they are young and cannot contemplate on  the consequences thereafter.
Other people have drawn the conclusion that there is not enough sensitisation happening at schools and homes respectively in ensuring that youths are imparted with knowledge on the matter at hand.
Samuel Phiri, a teacher in Chibombo said schools need to incorporate health programmes to teach pupils about the dangers and consequences of smoking so that they are guided on how to get an education by avoiding harmful activities.
“Health awareness programmes are very important and should be accommodated by schools for the benefit of the youth,” he said. Mr Phiri said some teenagers involved in smoking copy the traits from their parents who smoke in the homes.
“Usually you find that parents are busy smoking in the homes, not knowing that this contaminates their children which could cause them to be sick. Eventually, you find that their kids will want to experiment with their friends, and as a result get hooked to the
habit,” he said.
He said parents must be good role models for their children by  making sure that the children are trained to avoid peer pressure both in school and out of school.
Simon Daka, a medical doctor at Kaosha Clinic in Chibombo said smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer as most smoking related cancers increase as the individual continues with the habit.
He said teenage smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times as often as teens that do not  smoke, and produce phlegm more than twice as often as teens who do not smoke.
“Phlegm is important in the body but on a reasonable note.  People who smoke make way for excessive phlegm, which means that more mucus within the respiratory passage membranes will be produced, which is not normal for a person. This process usually takes place when someone has a bad cold,” he said.
Dr Daka said that teenage smokers are more likely to have seen a doctor or other health professionals for an emotional or psychological complaint. Because a young person’s body is still growing, teens and youth are vulnerable to its deadly effects.
“Smoking by children and adolescents hastens the onset of lung function decline during late adolescence and early adulthood. This is related to impaired lung growth, chronic coughing, and wheezing,” he said.
Dr Daka further stressed that the resting heart rates of young adult smokers are two to three beats per minute faster than non-smokers.
He said nicotine is not only highly addictive for youth, but it was also poisonous as it can be used as a pesticide on crops. A drop of pure nicotine would kill a person.
It has been noticed by some that even teenage girls have fallen victim to the habit of smoking due to peer pressure.
Dr Daka said girls who smoke on a regular basis are more likely to grow excess facial hair on numerous parts of the body.
“That is why you see hair on the face and chins of most girls and women who smoke. Smoking increases stimulation of hair growth, and as a result,  girls get excess hair on their face,” he said.
Grace Tembo, 34, a teacher based in Lusaka said it is worrying that even teenage girls are taking part in such activities which bring shame upon other girls in society.
“It’s not really nice when you hear that a girl also smokes these drugs and cigarettes. Teenage girls need to assess their contribution to society and uphold the qualities they have rather than take part in such activities,” she said.
It is safe to say that smoking is addictive. But it can be overcome with proper sensitisation mechanisms.
As DEC tries to control the spread of illicit drugs, it is important for teenagers to be aware that the law applies to everyone being young or old. This should give them a good reason to abstain from such use of drugs.
Government needs to make sure that they incorporate health awareness programmes and workshops in and out of schools to better enhance the knowledge of teenagers on the implications of smoking and the relevant issues involved.