Smoking a silent killer — Dr Annuar

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SIBU: The next time you light a cigarette, be mindful that it will not only burn a hole in your pocket, but the over 4,000 harmful substances it contained will impair your health.

If that is not bad enough, smoking in public places can affect the well-being of others, more so when there are pregnant women nearby.

Last month, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, in his message to mark `World No Tobacco Day 2012’ in Kuala Lumpur, said scientific evidence showed that exposure to cigarette smoke caused death, diseases and disabilities.

UK-trained cardiologist Dr Annuar Rapaee said cigarettes contained more than 4,000 harmful substances that could harm one’s body, particularly the heart.

“Besides causing heart attack, it can also cause blockage to arteries of the brain, leading to stroke. So, you see, smoking is most harmful for health.

“Instead, we should practise a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise to ensure our well-being,” Dr Annuar told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Dr Annuar, who is also Nangka assemblyman, advised teenagers to do away with the thinking that smoking made them looked ‘macho’ as this could harm their health.

Habitual smokers, he said, needed to have a strong will to quit smoking rather than rely on medication.

Meanwhile, state Health Department director Dr Zulkifli Jantan said they mounted checks regularly to curb smoking in public places.

“Our enforcement teams have beefed up checks in public places to curtail such activity as cigarette smoke can affect the well-being of other people, more so when there are pregnant women around.”

Those caught smoking in such places would be compounded, he cautioned.

Dr Zulkifli also advised teenagers not to take up smoking, and should not be misguided that their action would make them appeared more ‘macho’.

“This is because the younger you start (smoking), the greater the damage it will exert on your health.”

Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) president William Ghani Bina said parents as role models played a huge part to keep their children away from this unhealthy habit.

“Parents should not smoke in front of children as such acts can confuse them into thinking smoking is acceptable.”