22 August
HAWKERS are seen roaming among the cars stopping at the traffic lights; they are carrying a carton of cigarettes or a bag of betel quid. Beautiful girls are sent to beer pubs or bars to promote cigarette sales. Shops of cigarettes and betel quid are seen at every corner of almost every street in Yangon.
“ It is not the cigarette that kills you. It’s the thought behind the cigarette that does.” Raghu Venkatesh “ Quitting is the only way you can stop smoking.’ Believe you can and you’re halfway there.’ Theodore Roosevelt.
Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest health catastrophes killing more than 7 million people per year across the world. In Myanmar, more than 65,600 people are killed by tobacco-related diseases , according to The Tobacco Atlas. In 2016, a schoolbased survey of 3000 Myanmar students aged 13-15 found that 11 percent of this age group smoke cigarettes regularly, while 6 percent consume other smokeless tobacco products, especially in betel-nut chewing.
Smoking in Taipei and Singapore
Smoking in Taipei is regulated by the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. Tobacco advertising is banned and smoking is all indoor public places. The government is planning to extend the smoking bans to cars, motorbikes and pedestrians. In Singapore, it is not allowed in most indoor and outdoor places in the city-state, such as cinemas, shopping malls, rest places, bus stops, swimming pools and sports stadiums. The law stated that people are not allowed to smoke near the building areas and within 5 kilometers from them.
Smoking In Japan
Smoking in Japan, though historically less restricted than in many other nations, has significantly changed in recent years; Smoking is banned on the streets of all the main wards of Tokyo. The adult smoking rate is 19.3% of which 29.7% of Japanese men and 9.7% of Japanese women.
Smoking in China
It is prevalent as the People’s Republic of China is the world’s largest consumer and producer of tobacco: there are 350 million Chinese smokers and China produces 42% of the world’s cigarettes. Nearly 60% of Chinese doctors are smokers, which is the highest proportion in the world.
Betel-chewing
Although not well known in the West, betel-chewing is a habit of an estimated one-tenth of the world’s population, and betel is considered to be the fourth most-common psychoactive drug after nicotine, alcohol and caffeine in the world. A quid of betel is made up of areca nut, slaked lime( calcium hydroxide) and catechu which is then wrapped in a betel leaf. Betel is used in a manner similar to the Western use of tobacco or caffeine.
Arecoline is responsible for some of the effects of betel-quid chewing such as alertness, increased stamina, a sense of well-being, euphoria and salvation. Chewed betel nut produces a stimulant response, that, in low doses, is similar to caffeine or nicotine. In high doses, betel nut produces cocaine-like effects, including elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, anxiety and insomnia and cardiac arrhythmia .Chewing betel quid is extremely popular in Myanmar, making the teeth and lips very red, sometimes permanently if chewed a lot. When chewed over long periods of time, it can also lead to gum and teeth diseases.
Drinking alcohol
The consumption of alcohol plays an important social role in many cultures. Most countries have laws regulating the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. There is no general prohibition on drinking in the street but certain offences relating to alcohol may not be al lowed to commit in public places. Other offences include being drunk and disorderly in a public place and in any highway or other public places.
Drinking in a public place is legal; but drinking age is 18 years whereas German drinking age is 16 for soft drinks like beer and wine; but hard drinks like spirits and liquors are only allowed to adults over 18. Malaysian law forbids Muslims from imbibing alcoholic beverages, the rest of the population is free to do so. Licensing laws for the sale of alcohol are regulated by local municipal councils, however, and will vary from state to state.
Currently , there are no alcohol bans being enforced in Indonesia, with exception of Aceh. In 2015, the Government banned the sale of alcohol from minimarkets and small shops, with the exception of Bali province, though the sale was allowed in supermarkets, restaurants, bars , clubs and hotels. Drinking in India is not traditionally part of Indian culture. Due to this , you will find legal age for drinking quite high. In most parts of India, the age is 20 with Delhi reaching 25.
In conclusion, I would like to urge the authorities concerned to take tough actions against those who sell illegal alcohol and serious actions should be taken against those betel shops which sell cigarettes. I would like to request the authorities to deal with the issues of drinking , betel-chewing and smoking from now on.
By Arkarn Sein
