Save the leader who saved the most number of lives in Sri Lanka

Louis Pasteur, Edward Genner and Alexander Fleming have saved millions of lives across the world, whereas, Adolf Hitler tried the opposite. It is never easy to save people’s lives. Moreover, it may not be obvious even if it happens. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has saved hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan lives by putting a ban on smoking.

I am a Sri Lanka doctor practising in the UK. I believe that it is my responsibility to tell Sri Lankan public the positive impact that the smoking ban would induce on people’s quality of life and their life expectancy.

The United Kingdom banned smoking when I first came here in 2004 and now proudly talking about its positive effects. It may be too early for the Sri Lankans to recognise its effects; however, they will do so in the due course, provided that the Government would not lift the ban. How can we ensure this?

It is difficult to understand the harm caused by smoking. I understood its harmful effects only when I was a fourth year medical student, until then, I had been a smoker. If a medical student took such a long time to recognise its effects, there is a chance that a lay person might not pick that up, at all. Hence, as a responsible health professional, I always try my best to help people out to quit smoking.

When I was younger, the tobacco companies used the slogan ‘Government Advice: smoking may cause lung cancer’. It was a good marketing point than a caution.

As a teenager, I interpreted that it is safe to smoke, as I had never been to a funeral of a death due to lung cancer. Many youngsters would like to take that chance versus potential benefits. The face value of the verb ‘may’ would give them an additional booster. Sadly, the reality was hidden by the Government itself. The present Government was sincere enough to tell public the truth and also motivated and persuaded people to adopt a healthy life-style.

The main mechanism by which smoking causes ill health is by a process called ‘endothelial damage’. Each organ of our body gets it nourishment through blood vessels. Even a hair follicle survives on its blood supply that comes through tiny vessels called capillaries. The capillary is lined by single layer of cells which is called ‘endothelium’. This endothelium covers the inner aspect of all blood vessels enabling blood to flow through smoothly from the heart to the level that its nutrients (glucose, oxygen, vitamins, minerals & water) are taken up, which is the capillary of an organ.

The endothelium has many other vital functions other than facilitating the nutrient exchange which makes it a unique structure in the body. Smoking destroys this unique structure causing several disease processes such as heart attack, angina, aneurysms, high blood pressure, stroke, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, ulcers in the stomach, skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull, bones become brittle, low fitness, low sperm count, impotence, infertility, miscarriage, low birth weight baby, cot death; cramps, ulcers and gangrene in legs resulting in amputations,. The list of cancer is also endless: lips, tongue, throat, larynx, gullet, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, cervix, testis; it is not just ‘lung cancer’. Not only these diseases can kill you, they will also reduce the quality of life, significantly.

Hence, the British Government as well as many other responsible Governments took the initiative to ban smoking, at least in public places. The Sri Lankan Government has also taken this wise decision, bravely, facing a lot of hardships in order to ensure a better quality life and long life for its civilians. This will invariably save lives of hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans in the future. As responsible civilians, it is up to us to persevere the initiative that has been taken by Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa.

If you are a smoker, it is never too late to stop as the risk of developing many diseases and/or its progression will be eliminated 5-10 years after smoking, although it may be difficult to reverse the damage that has already resulted. While I appeal for those who smoke to quit, please ensure you help to strengthen the arms of the person who leads this humanitarian campaign of ‘saving lives’.

Dr Lilantha Wedisinghe

Specialist Registrar in

Obstetrics & Gynaecology,

Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.

Former Representative to the British Medical Association.

Former President of the

Medical Faculty Students’ Union, Colombo.