Smoking, as it is known by various forms, viz. a smoke from fire, smoke from one's heart when he/she is jealous over the endeavors of their sweet hearts, and last but not the least cigarette smoking. Its what the topic of discussion is going to be emphasized in subsequent paragraphs. If one looks around, he may come across lots of people smoking cigarettes. Gone are the days when cigarette smoking was the only domain of men being. With the increasing feminism, women and girls too find it quite acceptable and receptive in their respective societies when it comes to smoking. With all this globalisation and consumerism hoopla, which started in the early 1990s, the advent of action oriented films from Hollywood, and the so-called matured advertising, cigarette smoking becomes the norm of the world, and fashionable existance. People indulged in this habit, despite of knowing the health hazards and consequences. There're always two sides of coin. Every problem or evil in the society forms two distinct groups within it. There are those, who are the ultimate loyalists and the others who're see the title in question marks and try to get rid of it. In this case of cigarette smoking, we categorise these people into extremist users who're known as Active Smokers and there're those who can be known as victims or Passive Smokers. Lets discuss about each one by one, and the consequences pertaining to their actions.

The active smokers are those people who find it comfortable and at ease to smoke all day long, even in nights if they're having sleeping disorders, they don't miss a single chance to pick up, what they call it their darling cigarette packet, to burn it in lips. Its not that these smokers are only belong the 'have nots' of the society, but also the affluent classes are very much a part of this habit. If one goes by the various agencies' researches, then around 30% of Americans,35% of South Americans, 30% Europeans and 35% Asians are active smokers, belongs to the category discussed just in the previous lines. The people are very much obsessed with this evil, despite of knowing every element of health hazards being caused to them. And also, present day's advertisings also form a great part in inducing the people, to showing the aggressive males to lead in every sphere of life, just because he smokes a certain brand of levished cigarette. Remember Marlboro advertisement? It showcases a cowboy on a horse, who's very aggressive and just because he smokes Marlboro brand, he is successful in his cowboyship. There are vast number of advertising billbords showcasing the same. Internet too has also got his hand in advertising the brands. To further worsen the matters, big business houses that manufacture the cigarette brand also host and sponsor the big shows and events, to inspire the youths that they're still here to stay, and its a trend, which focuses more on the cigarette smoking. The mental level also differs when cigarette is being smoked by any set of individual in different societies. Affluents think it gives them the edge over others by flaunting their branded cigarettes. Young boys flaunt their masculine prowesses to attract girls, teenagers do it for telling the elders that they're being grown up. The girls and women do it, to equal their opposite genders, and the poor people smoke as they wish to get rid of their everydays' problems. Whatever the reason is, the trend is that the smoke is everywhere. Just resembling to the fuel pollution which only so far caters to big cities, the cigarette smoking is scattered everywhere and affecting a great deal, to not only cities but also every place on earth. One may call it more deadly than any other form of pollution, which is posing not only a big threat to the smoker's life, eating his/her lungs and throats out, but also to those who're closely associated with him, whether be his family, colleagues or the society as a whole.

The other category is of those who form the group as passive smokers. These are the people who come in contact when the active smokers do enjoy the company of their beloved cigarette. On bus-stands, railway stations, airports, or wherever you eye at, you may find these in plenty of numbers. It is estimated and seen that for every one active smoker, there are five around him who are affected in a great deal, and thus known as passive smokers. If the lungs of the earlier are 65% damaged then the later is quite badly affected towards his lungs for at least 40%. Hence, by all the mean the quantity of smokers get increased day after day, even if its passive smoker or active smoker.

Various measure should be adapted for the messages to be spread out about the evils and health hazards of smoking. The goverment as a responsible state, individuals and various societies must come forward to eliminate it from the society as a whole. Many countries have taken a good step in this direction to ban the smoking in any public place. Also, the advertisers and broadcasters should also consider it as a human and social responsibility to showcase at least 5 advertisements pertaining to the evils of smoking, for every 1 cigarette ad. The manufacturers also can't shy away from their social responsibilities by merely typecasting few statutory warnings such as 'cigarette smoking is injurious to health'. There has to be various effective and well staffed, properly managed welfare homes to look after those who wants to abstinate the smoking. Every hospital must reserve some space in this regard. Then only this evil can be phased out from the society who is facing a great deal of trauma because of this single health hazard. Every individual should be socially responsible to get rid of this menace, then only we can form healthy and respectable societies.

Gurpreet...