Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Smoking is injurious to Health

Smoking is injurious to Health.

Tobacco in news in India, and there is lot of debates raised whether it is harmful to health or not. Tobacco lobby was searching for sound arguments in favour of tobacco to increase their businesses in India. 

Smoking and chewing Tobacco is a tradition from age old centuries in India. 24.3% males and 3.2% females smoke in India as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2013. And millions are chewing gutkha, khaini, zarda, etc, the smokeless tobacco. Tobacco in India consumed 48% in chewing, 38% in bidis and 14% in cigarettes. Tobacco is an important commercial crop with an annual production of 725 million kgs plus. It earns 1027 crore as excise revenue and 202 crore as foreign exchange to the exchequer. However, Cigarettes smokers pay about 85% of the total tax generated. It's export has crossed $169 million mark and ITC is the biggest exporter. Tobacco is one of the biggest economic and social activities in India!

But is it really injurious to health? 

Ayurveda considered Smoking as a medicine for some purposes. Ayurveda classify smoke into 6 categories: shaman (balance vat, pitta, cough), brihan (strengthen 7 dhatus), rechan (remove wastes), kasha (cure coughing), vanan (cure vomiting) and vrandhoopan (curing cuts and boils). 

It is prohibited for those who are/have: tired, in sorrow, given basti, taken rech, didn't sleep in night, thirsty, stomach problems, diabetic, headaches, pregnant ladies, eaten milk-honey-ghee-grain-curd-fish, child (under 12), old (80 plus), weak body.  

And while smoking, one should keep the mind worry free, not to become angry, smoke away from dust etc, precautions to be followed. If smoked in excess, ghee, milk, sweet and sour juices are used to balance it. It suggests drinking smoke through pipe. Therefore, hukka is very popular in country side of whole of Asia.

If smoked properly, it can cure coughing, breathlessness, cold, throat pain, chin pain, headaches, impurities of vata and cough. It freshen the mind, speech and senses; strengthen hairs, teeth, moustache; and is a mouth freshener.

Hang on! 

It is not saying smoking Tobacco, but smoke treatment with medicines, i.e., cardamom for Shaman, ral for Brihan, mustard for Rechan, kateri- dry ginger-pepper-pipar for Kasha, naso for Vaman, neem and vaj for cuts and boils. 

It explains to smoke in the house with neem leaves, peacock feathers, kateri fruits, pepper, asafoetida, cotton seeds, goat hairs, snake skin (naturally removed), elephant tooth, etc, to cure seen and unseen diseases. 

When our mind get disturbed, we need support and sometimes smoking, drinking, etc, gives us relief from the worry/pains for a while. People replaced medicines with tobacco and now 25% adults of India are smoking and millions are chewing Tobacco.

Health is wealth. Better not to smoke and repair the disturbed brain with good social company or to meditate in a dark corner!

Smoking and Chewing Tobacco is injurious to Health. 

Punamchand
7 April 2015

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