Times of India
25 May 2011
By Jayanthi Madhukar

Contemporary workplaces have given rise to a new smoking culture. Giving cash incentives for not smoking will help curtail this menace, says expert
Within five minutes of waking up Praveen K has smoked his first cigarette, setting the tone for the day. One before and after breakfast; one or more for the road and while on the road. The techie reaches his office and heads straight to the designated smoking area. When he finds no company, he goes up to the office and returns after ten minutes with his band of colleagues and co–smokers.

According to Dr K C Lakshmaiah, Oncologist, Kidwai Hospital, workplaces have began to impact the smoking habits and also the health of the people in the office – both active and passive smokers.

The ban on smoking in public spaces came into force in October 2008 in an effort to curtail high levels of tobacco addiction."In places like USA and European nations, smoking has come down whereas in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other developing nations, it is actually rising," says Dr Lakshmaiah. Tobacco smoking kills almost a million people each year in India alone.

Dr Lakshmaiah enumerates some trends emerging out of our workplaces leading to an increase in smoking habits amongst the youngsters.

Social Smoking on the Rise
Most corporate offices have strict non–smoking rules; they have designated places for smoking, away from the main work area.With smoking areas getting further away, social smoking at the workplace has increased. Colleagues tend to ask each other out for a "smoke–break". Even if the others have no inclination to smoke right then, they tend to have a "ciggie, just for company". Praveen says, "I definitely prefer to have company when I smoke, unless I am tense and would rather be alone." Pitfall? People are more likely to smoke when they have company.

Midnight Smoke
This was bound to happen in a city that has so many back–end offices, BPOs and call centers. People on nightshifts tend to light up more often around midnight and in the wee hours. And this is doubly harmful, says Dr Lakshmaiah. "First of all, the body is fighting against the adverse effects of changing the biological clock. Smoking will just compound the adverse effects. So, in my opinion, nighttime smoking will cause more harm than otherwise."

Increase in Women Smokers
As women at work are increasing, so is the percentage of women smokers. With some it all boils down to equality. "Why shouldn’t I smoke, if I want to? Because I am a woman? That is regressive thinking?" asks Ankita, a copywriter with a leading ad agency in the city and who is nicknamed "The Chimney" by friends and colleagues. There’s a downside to this kind of "gender–equality" says Dr Lakshmaiah.

Infertility, skin and gynaecological problems, damage to the eyes, bladder problem, risk of abortion – these are some of the side effects of smoking if you are a woman, apart from the big troublemakers which are oral cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, cardio and respiratory problems.

Flaming Youth
As workplaces are getting younger, the rise of young smokers is not surprising. Youngsters in the age group of 25–30 tend to take up smoking as a way to beat stress. "More and more youngsters are using smoking as a stress buster. But by not smoking, they remain healthier and will be able to work better," says Dr Lakshmaiah, "and this is something that workplaces need to note."

Branded Smokes
Marketing strategies have given rise to a false feeling of comfort as smokers are increasingly buying cigarettes with filter tips. Moreover, smoking branded cigarettes has become a status symbol for the yuppies in the city, note experts. Branded and imported cigarettes are preferred to cheaper brands as smokers are lulled into thinking that there are lesser toxic components in such cigarettes.

"Even the office boy has started to smoke cigarettes instead of bidis for two reasons: One, improving his social standing and two, for a supposedly better product. But this is not true. Filters are not going to stop all the 399 toxic substances that are there in the cigarette," says Dr Lakshmaiah. Double filtered or multi–filtered cigarettes are not going to prevent the toxic impact of the ciggies.

What Can be Done?
At the workplace the emphasis should be to ban smoking and not smokers. According to Dr Lakshmaiah, offices must "give smokers cash incentives to stop smoking. That way the health of the workforce improves and substantial benefits can be gained like lesser insurance claims, better quality of work and so on. Also, list out the harmful effects of smoking rather than the standard health warning.

For example, a young man/woman may be motivated to stop smoking if told that he/she may become infertile rather than saying that it is the surefire way to get cancer. Because youngsters can reason out the short term effects rather than something that may happen much later."

Young smokers are blessed with a naturally good immune and biological system. If someone starts smoking at the age of 25, then in five years time, the adverse effects of smoking will probably show up although they start to manifest from the day the first cigarette is lit. "Blackening of the area around the eyes, nicotine stained teeth and blackened lips are the initial signs along with bad complexion, weight loss and anemia."

Also on the list are respiratory problems like chronic cough, acidity, acid reflux and related gastric problems; sexual and gynaecological problems; and finally cancer and cardio problems," says Dr Lakshmaiah. World No Tobacco Day is on May 31.

Lung Darts

• People are more likely to smoke when they have company.
• People are buying filter tipped cigarettes with the expectation that the adverse effects of smoking will be lessened.
• Nighttime smoking has increased in the city
• There is a definite rise in the percentage of women smokers
• Youngsters are lighting up big time at work to beat stress