ANJALI YADAV/Dehradun
“Relax, it’s just one puff. You won’t get addicted.” For many young ones, this is how smoking begins. Not because they planned to start, but because- what the Gen Z calls it-FoMO (Fear of missing out). What starts as a casual try with peers often slowly turns into a habit that becomes difficult to quit.
Sheetal Saklani, a 22-year-old who works at a private company, said while talking to The Pioneer that she first tried smoking during her first year in college. “It was the first time I was introduced to a brand of cigarette. It had a very sweet, clovey smell, which attracted me. All my friends were trying it and when they offered me, I felt that if I refused, I would be left out. That was it. I didn’t realise then that it would become a daily habit,” she said. “I have been trying to quit for the past one year and have reduced my intake. But stress often pushes me back,” she recounted.
Ramesh Kumar, in his mid-60s, has been smoking for nearly four decades. He is currently undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh, where doctors have told him that about 80 per cent of his lungs had been found damaged. Despite his condition, he has not been able to give up smoking. “I tried to quit once, but the withdrawal symptoms were severe. Even if I decide in the morning that I won’t smoke today I start feeling restless in the evening. Besides, I get irritated very quickly when I try to quit. Small things start bothering me too much,” he said.
For Tanuja Mehra, a 24-year-old, the habit started in her teenage years. “After school, I joined a coaching centre where my friend circle formed. I tried to look smart. Now it is proving difficult to quit,” she confided while talking to this correspondent. Importantly, she is currently taking counselling support.
Doctors say this pattern is common enough: what begins as social smoking gradually leads to nicotine dependence. “Whenever a person smokes, the hot smoke directly damages the cilia inside the lungs, which clears mucus and dust,” said a chest specialist at Doon Hospital, Dr Anurag Agrawal.
When it stops functioning properly, mucus accumulates and the risk of infections increases, he explained. Over time, smoking narrows the airways and reduces airflow, making breathing difficult. Long-term smoking for over 20 to 25 years can lead to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), persistent cough and breathlessness. “It also increases the risk of tuberculosis, pneumonia, acute asthma and even lung cancer,” Dr Agrawal said.
He affirmed that there is no safe cigarette. “Lite” or “low-tar” cigarettes are equally harmful, as smokers tend to inhale more deeply. “Vaping and electronic cigarettes damage the lungs, too,” he said.
“Even the unborn aren’t safe. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and respiratory problems in children, while second-hand smoke is harmful for both mother and unborn child,” Agrawal said.
He, however, added that early quitting helps. “Lung function improves gradually and the risk of serious diseases reduces over time,” he said.
