What women should think of on International Women's Day

Manjari PEIRIS

Prevalence of smoking among women in Sri Lanka is minimum, but they get exposed to passive smoking enormously due to men's smoking. The main reason to this problem is their ignorance and negligence on the whole issue. Therefore raising awareness on the issue is vital.

The Harm

There is clear evidence of the harm that passive smoking does to a being. They are:

* Disease and premature death in adults and children

* Acute respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheeze and difficulty in breathing

* Acute decline in lung functions among asthma sufferers and increased risk of lung disease

* Onset of adult asthma and worsening of asthma control * Lung cancer, breast cancer and coronary heart disease * Sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weight

Children are more vulnerable to passive smoking than adults and there is less control over their getting exposed to passive smoking.

Owing to the space factor, smoking in a car can produce high levels of exposure to passive smoking.

The prevalence of non-smoking adults and children getting exposed to passive smoking is higher in households of higher socio-economic status.

Mothers living in disadvantaged circumstances often face additional challenges and dilemmas in protecting their children from getting exposed to passive smoking in homes.

To reduce exposure

The most effective way to reduce exposure to passive smoking is for all the adults to stop smoking. It will also help increased tendency for children to be away from taking up the habit of smoking.

To reduce exposure to passive smoking, there should also be a comprehensive tobacco control strategy.

Carefully designed and implemented media campaigns and awareness raising initiatives towards smoke free spaces are vital.

Legislation promoting smoke-free spaces helps creating smoke-free homes.

Smoking bans in public places including workplaces associates with declines in consumption, smoking prevalence, initiation to smoking by young people and increased attempts to quit.

The knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of smokers, especially parents, will greatly depend in making homes, smoke-free.

To create smoke-free areas, national, regional and local policy and decision-makers should take action using several methodologies.

They are, implementation of the provisions of the global health treaty - the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; enacting legislation requiring public spaces to be completely smoke-free environments, educational and information programmes targeting different populations, quit programmes, effective tobacco control policies etc.

Women should be educated enough especially to protect their children from passive smoking. They should especially monitor exposure to secondhand smoke in private and public places. They should also see that all child care establishments including schools, nurseries, healthcare facilities and clinics, children's homes and placements for children in State care are smoke free both in buildings and grounds.

Also there should be correct value systems in a family. People who take to liquor start from social acceptance of consuming liquor which comes indirectly from the attitudes of wife towards liquor. Women and children are the main victims of alcohol consumed men who harass their wives and children.

On the other hand recent studies show that more women seem to be taking beer now which alcohol industry introduces as "women's drink".

Women are the market for both alcohol and tobacco industries especially in developing countries like Sri Lanka. Of the population in Sri Lanka, 50% are women. The industry's point of view reveals that their promotion work are targeting women and that any person having lips whether a female or a male, they should be able to use those substances. Certain traditions maintain family ties and if they really take up to alcohol and tobacco, the future of this country is going to be very bleak. We need to maintain some standards in spite of the promotions being done by the industries. So the women have to be really and strongly conscious on these aspects.

Women should also resist their smoking family members of spending a big portion of the family income in buying cigarettes and alcohol. They should first understand the economics of buying cigarettes and alcohol and then persuade the males to spend that money on some worthy cause!