“You have the right to smoke, but other people have also the right to live.” Dr. Anthony Leachon, a cardiologist of Manila Doctors Hospital, is one of the fierce advocates of the anti-smoking campaign in the Philippines. He has performed bypass operations to patients as young as 35 years old whose heart attack history can be traced to smoking cigarettes.
“Ten Filipinos are dying every hour due to smoking, and they lose an average of 13 to 14 years of their lives when they smoke” said Dr. Leachon in an interview at Radyo Klinika on DWIZ 882 KHZ AM. He added that heart disease is one of the major risk factors of smoking, which usually affect males.
A World Health Organization (WHO) report estimates that nearly 6 million people in the world will die this year due to smoking. More than 5 million of them are current smokers or ex-smokers and more than 600, 000 are non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
There are thousands of harmful chemicals in the cigarettes which can cause diseases such as cancer, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, cataracts, teeth and mouth problems, reproductive health problems, pneumonia, emphysema and heart ailment, according to the cardiologist.
“As you inhale the smoke, harmful chemicals enter your body and damage your organs. The nicotine, which is highly addictive, narrows the blood vessels and can cause frequent headaches (due to the lack of oxygen in the brain) and can lead to strokes. It also raises your blood pressure due to blood clotting. Then, the smoke, which carries hydrogen cyanide – the same poison that is being used in gas chambers—moves through the bronchi and inflames them, causing the dreaded smoker’s cough and infections.”
“It has also carbon monoxide, the same fume that comes out from car exhaust, and depletes the blood of oxygen, leading to cholesterol deposits in the artery walls and increasing the chances of a heart attack, weak blood circulation and even impotence. The tar in smoke doesn’t only discolor the smoker’s teeth, lips and fingers but can also cause cancer. Seventy percent of the tar in smoke is deposited in the smoker’s lungs,” added Dr. Leachon.
The other chemicals in the cigarette are: benzene, which is being used as solvent in fuel, formaldehyde which is being used for embalming or preservation of the dead body of humans and animals, ammonia—a toilet cleaner, acetone—a nail polish remover, and arsenic which can be found in rat poison.
The harmful effects of smoking don’t stop with the smoker. It also affects the people around him. “A person who works in a bar full of smokers on an 8-hour duty inhales as much toxic smoke as a person who finishes a pack of cigarettes a day,” said Dr. Leachon. Second hand smoke can also kill unborn babies.
“And there is what we call now as third hand smoke—the tobacco residue, which can cling on curtains, carpets, furniture, clothes, skin, hair and even food. The residue can be inhaled, touched and ingested by the non-smoker and can also produce devastating effects on one’s health.”
“Quit now before it’s too late. Set a date, tell your family and friends that you’re planning to quit, remove all tobacco products from your home, work and vehicle, and talk to your doctor,” advised Dr. Leachon.
The Department of Health (DOH) has set up smoking cessation clinics in state-run hospitals and regional medical centers. Doctors and counselors help the smoker to quit through smoking cessation medications and therapy.
Dr. Leachon believes that commitment is essential in withdrawing from smoking. “A smoker can live longer and provide a healthier environment for his family and friends if he will act now and hold on to his goal of being smoke-free for the rest of his life.”
Radyo Klinika is a health program on DWIZ 882 KHZ AM which airs every Tuesday to Friday, 7:00 to 8:00 pm. It is the recipient of the 2016 KBP Golden Dove award for Best Radio Magazine Program, and its host, Marou Pahati Sarne, as Best Radio Magazine Program Host in 2016 and 2017. Visit its Facebook Page: Radyo Klinika