Pollution and NCDs

Prameeta Chand, Suva

Many emphasis are being put on environmental pollution and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by the authorities via the media.

It is nice to inform people about the causes and effects of pollution, climate change and NCDs. Protocols should be put in place to curb it. We just celebrated “World No Tobacco Day”, and Stinson Parade was declared “smoke free” zone. Well done!

When non-smokers’ health are harmed in the form of passive smoking, don’t you think we should declare every public place “No Smoking”?

If it’s costing the economy high medical costs and loss of healthy workers, then why leave this option available to the people?

Just as plastic bags were banned, can’t we place a ban on smoking? If a complete ban cannot be placed on its production, protocol should be put in place on its sale and usage in the public arena. Why should the general public pay the price of other peoples’ desires? Bold steps need to be taken to save our nation. Non communicable diseases are results of non-controllable desires (NCDs).

Call it climate, nature, or environment, all are related. Man’s creation in the name of modernisation has an impact on all. Pollution comes in the form of solid, liquid and gas such as plastic bags and bottles, chemicals and fossil fuels. Be it land, air or sea, all living things are harmed with these emissions including humans.

Every production, along with its benefits, has its side effects. So, stringent measures need to be taken to control the excretion of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Just as us human beings, what we consume and how much we consume influences our immune system. The same applies to what we feed our surroundings.

“Think twice, act wise”!