In the United Kingdom, today, March 12, marks National No Smoking Day.

It is an annual health awareness campaign that aims to help those who want to quit smoking.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) research on the use of tobacco in July 2023, the tobacco pandemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing over eight million people a year around the world.

More than seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.3 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

Two smokers were approached to share their reason to smoke.

ALSO READ: Rocky Drift warehouse raided and illicit goods confiscated

Lisa-Marié Rademeyer, who has been a smoker for 14 years, said she tried quitting smoking cigarettes for a healthier lifestyle, but went back to it after a traumatic experience.

“I recently tried to quit smoking. However, I experienced an attempted hijacking, which would traumatise anyone, and needed something to deal with it. I continued to smoke to cope with mental stress.”

She said in the past she smoked to deal with relationship break-ups, school pressure and other life challenges.

She also said she took some breaks during the times she was pregnant, which she said was not difficult.

“My doctor advised me to not just stop because the withdrawal symptoms are also not good for the baby. Instead, he said I should reduce the smoking until I can go a day without it. I went eventually went back after giving birth,” she said.

“Because I have kids, I always avoid smoking when they are close to me to avoid secondary smoking. I only smoke in well-ventilated rooms and the car, because I can open the windows,” she said.

Piet Smit said he vapes daily to deal with stress and aggression.

“It helps me to keep calm. It’s unlike cigarettes but you still get the nicotine. I’ve been a smoker for seven years. I actually moved from cigarettes to vaping, because it gave me a horrible cough and the vape doesn’t,” Smit said.

ALSO READ: We Care 4 Nelspruit come to City of Mbomela’s aid again

The WHO’s research also showed that all forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco.

Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other products include waterpipe tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, heated tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis and kreteks, and smokeless tobacco products.

Here are some of the WHO’s statistics from 2023:

• Tobacco kills up to half of its users who don’t quit.
• Around 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low and middle income countries.
• In 2020, 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco, 36.7% being men and 7.8% women.