Each year the last day of May is celebrated as the ‘World No Tobacco Day’. It is sponsored annually by the World Health Organization to ‘wag a warning finger’ at the ‘excesses’, in terms of health, that results from tobacco use. This year the focus is on ‘100% smoke - free environment’ with special emphasis on the effects of second-hand exposure to tobacco.

The main reason why tobacco becomes addictive is due to the content of Nicotine, which alters brain functioning. Most smokers continue to smoke in order to avoid the pain of withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine in the blood, which makes quitting difficult. Stopping can produce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms including depression, insomnia, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, anxiety, decreased heart rate, increased appetite, weight gain, and craving for nicotine.

Cancerous growth occurring within the structures of the oral cavity is known as Oral Cancer The oral cavity includes the mouth and all the structures within it, such as the tongue, teeth, gums, lower jaw etc. Majority of the oral cancers affect the outer layer of mucous membrane covering the oral cavity. Cancer in the mouth does not occur overnight. It occurs as a series changes within the tissue, which eventually promotes the development of cancer.

Smoking is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Smoking still remains one of the leading causes of preventable death. Smoking has the dubious distinction of affecting all the systems from head to foot. Continuous exposure to smoking leads to cancer and cardiovascular risks, besides blood pressure, stroke, impotence, premature aging and respiratory infections. Smoking during pregnancy leads to serious health problems to the newborns.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Perhaps the most commonly discussed respiratory disease after the common cold. There are so many factors that trigger the asthma, a recent research has found that the asthma epidemic in children may be explained by the rise in cigarette use by adults over the past century. Even though treatment and asthma management strategies can help control symptoms there is no known cure for chronic condition.