Role of students in the fight against tobacco,alcohol and drugs
(for World No tobacco day)
Answers
Role of Students in the fight against Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs
We live in a cosmopolitan world today. We're introduced to different cultures, beliefs and ideologies from a young age. Today's youth are much more exposed to a global viewpoint than ever before. However, it is here that the problem lies. Youth, especially the years of teenage, are the years in which students are influenced a lot by their peers and the society around them. It is said that the mind is at its weakest during these years, and it is difficult to keep it under our control. This is exactly where the issue starts. We see today's youth falling to peer pressure and getting addicted to smoking, drinking and drugs from a young age, which can disastrously change the path of their life. We see exceptional students being dragged into this habit, never to come out again. There are others who cleverly make their way through all these distractions and emerge victorious. They are surely bound to rise ahead and succeed in life. Good always outweighs the bad and such good can also inspire the bad to come out from their bubble and mend their ways. Students definitely have a role to play in the fight against these social hazards.
While the society and government do try in many ways to bring out awareness in people about the ill-effects of smoking, drinking and drugs, some people just cannot come out of the mess they have created for themselves and become lifetime prey to such habits. As mentioned before, the prime age when this life-shattering mistake occurs is during teenage. Students fall prey to these habits just because of the "cool" factor associated with them. They are forced to try them out just because everyone else is doing so. They later influence others and hence, the cycle continues. We, as students must be having the ability to say 'NO' to such habits. If we fall into them once, it is highly probable that you cannot get yourself out of it during this lifetime. Therefore, we must save ourselves first before saving others. We must have a firm determination to work towards our goal and ignore all the distractions that come in between. We must realize that it is our fortune that we have been warned about such habits early on and must try to avoid them for the rest of our lives. Once we distance ourselves from such habits, the bigger duty arises, which is to prevent others to fall prey as well. We must constantly be on the lookout for friends who are getting involved in smoking, drinking or drugs. If possible, we must try and influence them and stop before its too late. If it is not possible on our own, we can try contacting someone we trust, such as a teacher, parent or also seeking professional intervention by a counselor. Counselors are trained to handle such cases and will be more than well equipped to carefully and safely bring students out of the vicious grab of these bad habits. As students, we can also spread awareness on these topics to the general public. Being so active on social media platforms, we can share articles and warnings so that people realize what they are doing wrong. We can carry out rallies, hold placards, design posters and spread awareness in our schools or localities. We must encourage our leaders to bring more stringent laws to help reduce the menace. A change is possible only when each and every one contributes to making a better society.
Therefore, students play a major role in the fight against the social evils affecting the youth, namely Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs. The major battle is to prevent ourselves from falling prey to such habits due to peer pressure, which makes us act without thinking. Once we distance ourselves from these hazards, half the problem is solved. The other half can be solved by joining hands and spreading awareness throughout the world about the importance of staying away from such habits. It all begins with a small step, which can finely make this world a better place! We must take a pledge and move forward with all our might and fight this battle to emerge victorious.
Role of Students in the fight against Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs
Smoking, alcohol, and drugs are obstacles that the people of a country must overcome to be a happy state. If there is any power that can free India of these evils it is the students of the nation. Eliminating these evils is impossible without the collective will of the young students, the people and the Government.
Let’s see why smoking and drug addiction are so detrimental to the progress of our country. According to statistics more than 6 million tobacco-related deaths occur every year across the world; and one-sixth of these deaths occur in India alone. These deaths are expected to rise to 8 million by 2030.
Smoking and drug addiction are is like a canker to the health of the economic and technological prosperity of a nation. A country whose manpower does not enjoy health, can never hope to become advanced and developed. Only healthy manpower can accomplish great feats in all spheres. Smokers and drug addicts are bound to end up at hospitals or graveyards or cemeteries or crematoriums.
There is famous saying about smoking which says, “Smokers don’t grow old…they die young…”. In spite of the overt danger involved in smoking and drugs, it is inexplicable as to why people feel attracted to these vices.
Some of the harmful ingredients in cigarette smoke are nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar. Nicotine is addictive. It is also one of the most dangerous chemicals in cigarette tobacco. Tar contains at least 30 cancer causing irritants. It is a mixture of several substances that condense into a sticky substance in the lungs. Some respiratory related diseases that have been linked with smoking are lung cancer, cancer of the larynx, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. The hazards of these diseases increase with the quantity of cigarettes smoked and the length of time the habit continues.
Similarly, alcoholism and drugs also wreak havoc on the health of the body, leading to various illnesses.
Now the most crucial question: ‘How to curb this evil of smoking and drug addiction?’ Although many agencies and Government initiatives have been created to fight and curb smoking and drug addiction, but they are not very effective.. The only solution to the problem of smoking is the youth and people’s involvement in eradicating it from the face of our country. They will have to take the issue in their hands.
The students can really a play a revolutionary role in overcoming these challenges. Students should be involved in anti-smoking and anti-drug drives from the school and colleges. They should be made aware of the dangerous effects of smoking and drugs on human wealth through seminars, school-curriculum. There can be awareness rallies organized by students. With the collective efforts of students, people, Government, and the law, smoking and drug addiction can be removed from our country.