Mmofra Bisa Sɛ . . .

Sigaretnom Nye Ampa?

A SIGARETNOM ayɛ Oren fɛ fi bere a ɔyɛ abofra ketewaa. Sɛ ne sewaa sɔ ne sigaret a, ɔma no dum mankyese no. Odii mfe 16 no osii gyinae sɛ ɔbɛsɔ sigaretnom ahwɛ. Ɔkɔɔ apontow bi ase na ɔsrɛɛ abeawa bi sigaret​—nanso wannom anwie na ɔyaree.

Esiane sɛ Oren anim guu ase nti, osii gyinae sɛ “obesua” sigaretnom wɔ kokoam. Da koro anwummere, bere a wadidi amee no, ɔde ahopopo sɔɔ sigaret na ɔtwee wusiw no kɔɔ ne mu. Hwɛ sɛnea ne ho dwiriw no! Saa bere yi de n’ani so ammiri no anaasɛ ne bo so amfono no. Esiane sɛ n’ani gyee n’ankasa ho nti, ɔtwee bio ne bio. Ɔnom saa sigaret no wiei no na ɔhwehwɛ foforo. Ɛno akyi no, foforo bio. Wɔ mfe asia a edi hɔ no, Oren yɛɛ obi a ɔnom sigaret yiye.

Sigaretnom​—So Asorɔkye No Adan?

Ebia mmofra pii bɛkasa atia Oren nneyɛe no. Nhwehwɛmu bi a wɔyɛe wɔ United States ma ɛdaa adi sɛ, mmofra a wonnii mfe aduonu a wobisabisaa wɔn nsɛm no mu ɔha biara mu 66 gye di sɛ sigaret adaka biako anaa pii a obi nom da koro no de no to “asiane kɛse” mu. Anwonwasɛm ne sɛ ɔkasatia a emu yɛ den no mu bi fi sigaretnomfo ankasa hɔ! Obi a wadi mfe 16 a ɔnom bi ka sɛ: “Ɛyɛ subammɔne.” Wɔ nhwehwɛmu bi mu no, mmofra a wonnii mfe aduonu a wɔnom sigaret no mu bɛyɛ ɔha biara mu 85 gye too mu sɛ wonim sɛ enye. Wɔn mu bɛyɛ fã kae sɛ wobegyae​—wɔ mfe anum mu.

Enti ɛda adi sɛ ɛte sɛ nea ɔsɔretia asorɔkye bi rebɛma din a tawa agye bere tenten no asɛe. U.S. nnuruyɛfo panyin no 1989 mu amanneɛbɔ a n’asɛmti ne Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking​—25 Years of Progress no ka sɛ: “Wɔ 1940 ne 1950 mfe no mu no, na wɔde sigaretnom di mmerantesɛm; mprempren, nnipa pii regyae. Na sini mufo, agumadifo ne afoforo a wɔagye din wɔ sigaret tɔn ho dawurubɔ mu. Ɛnnɛ, wɔntaa nhu sini mufo, mmirikatufo, wɔn a wɔagye din ne amammuifo a wɔnom sigaret. . . . Nnipa pii regyae sigaretnom.”

Wɔ 1965 mu no, na mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ United States ɔha biara mu 40 nom sigaret. Bɛboro ɛno akyi mfe 20 no, bɛyɛ sɛ ɔha biara mu 29 pɛ na wɔnom. Nnuruyɛfo panyin no amanneɛbɔ no kɔ so ka sɛ “mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ nkwa mu a na wɔnom sigaret no mu bɛyɛ fã agyae.” Wɔ 1976 mu no, na ntoaso sukuu mu mpanyimfo bɛyɛ ɔha biara mu 29 nom sigaret daa. Bɛboro ɛno akyi mfe du no, bɛyɛ ɔha biara mu 19 pɛ na wɔnom.

Enti ɛte sɛ nea enhia sɛ wɔka sigaretnom ho asɛm pii bio. Nanso wɔ ɔsatu a emu yɛ den a etia sigaretnom ne nnuruyɛfo kɔkɔbɔ ahorow nyinaa akyi no, tawa a wɔde di dwuma wɔ wiase nyinaa no anya nkɔanim kɛse! Mpanyimfobɛyɛ ɔpepem 50 a wɔwɔ United States no da so nom. Na nea ɛyɛɛ Oren no reyɛ mmofra pii. Mmofra a wonnii mfe aduonu bɛyɛ 3,000 fi ase nom sigaret daa wɔ United States nkutoo. Ɛno yɛ sigaretnomfo afoforo ɔpepem biako afe biara a ɛyɛ nwonwa yiye! Nea ɛyɛ nwonwa ne sɛ nnipa afoforo a wontumi ntwe wɔn ho mfi nicotine ho no mu pii yɛ mmeawa a wonnii mfe aduonu.

Ɔsatu Ahorow ɔ Etia Sigaretnom​—Ɛnyɛ Ade Foforo!

Ɛnyɛ sɛ nnipa nnim asiane ahorow no. Bere tenten ansa na nhwehwɛmufo rehu nyansahu mu ntease horow nti a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkwati sigaretnom no, nyansa maa nnipa hui sɛ ɛyɛ afide, subammɔne. Wɔ nea ennu mfe 90 a atwam no, na mmara mma sigaretnom ho kwan wɔ United States mmeae pii. Na mmeae bi wɔ hɔ a wohu bi wɔ obi ho ara po a, wɔkyere no. Na tete mmere mu mpo no, wɔhyɛɛ mmara a emu yɛ den tiaa sigaretnom.

Smithsonian nsɛmma nhoma ka nhyehyɛe bi a na etia sigaretnom a wɔyɛe wɔ afeha a ɛto so 17 mu no ho asɛm: “Wɔ China no, mmara bi a wɔhyɛe wɔ 1638 mu no kyerɛe sɛ . . . tawa a wɔde di dwuma no yɛ bɔne a ɛho asotwe ne sɛ wobetwa onii no ti. . . . Wɔ Russia no, na wɔhwe sigaretnomfo; na wɔpae wɔn a wɔtaa nom no hwene mu tokuru; na wotwa wɔn a wɔkɔ so nom no asu kɔ Siberia. Wɔ Persia no, na wɔyɛ wɔn ayayade, wɔbɔ wɔn asennuam na/anaasɛ wotwa wɔn ti.”

Nokwarem no, na saa asotwe ahorow no mu yɛ den dodo na na ɛyɛ atirimɔden. Nanso sigaretnomfo no bɔ wɔn nipadua atirimɔden.

Sigaretnom—Nea Ɛyɛ Wo Nipadua

Nicotine a ɛwɔ tawa mu no na ɛma wonya ho anigye a ɛmfata no. Nanso The World Book Encyclopedia ka sɛ: “Nicotine susutoa ketewaa ma​—bɛyɛ miligram 60 (ounce 1 a wɔakyɛ mu 500)​—sɛ obi a wanyin nom ne nyinaa bere koro mu a, ebetumi akum no. Nicotine a ɛwɔ sigaret biako biara mu no bɛyɛ miligram 1 (ounce 1 a wɔakyɛ mu 30,000) .”

Nicotine ho a obi bɛtwe ne ho afi no yɛ den yiye nso. U.S. nnuruyɛfo panyin no amanneɛbɔ bi ka sɛ: “Sigaretnomfo pii fi ase bere a wonnii mfe aduonu na wontumi nnyae. . . . Ɛnnɛ, sigaretnomfo ɔha biara mu nkyem 80 ka sɛwonyae a anka wɔagyae; baasa biara mu abien de anibere abɔ mmɔden anyɛ yiye koraa no pɛnkoro sɛ wobegyae.‘’ Ne gyae ho yare a ɛyɛ yaw taa sɛe mmɔden a ɛte saa no: tawa ho akɔnnɔ a emu yɛ den, ahoguan, abufuw, dadwen, atiben, anikum, yafunyare ne adwenem basaayɛ.

Nanso, sigaret yɛ nea ɛsen nicotine a obi de sɛe ne ho; sigaret a wɔasɔ yɛ awuduru adwumayɛbea ankasa a epuw nnuru ahorow 4,000. Wɔahu sɛ nnuru yi mu aduanan abiɛsa ma honam mu akisikuru. Emu bi te sɛ adubiri tinann bi a ɛka ahrawa ne ɔkwan a mframa fa so kɔ ahrawa mu no mu. Eyi betumi ama ahrawa mu akisikuru akyiri yi. Wɔka sɛ sigaretnom nso “ka ho na ɛma dwonsɔtwaa, furu ho ne asaabo mu akisikuru; na wɔka sɛ ɛma yafunu mu aki- sikuru.”​—Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking.

Ebia ebedi mfe pii ansa na obi a ɔnom sigaret anya akisikuru. Nanso sigaret biako pɛ betumi apira. Nicotine ma wo koma bɔ ntɛmntɛm, na ɛma wo nipadua no hia mframa pa pii. Nea ennye nso ne sɛ, carbon monoxide​—mframa a edi awu a ɛwɔ lɔre wusiw mu wɔ sigaret wusiw nso mu. Adubɔne yi kɔ mogya no mu tee na esiw mframa pa a ɛkɔ koma ne akwaa afoforo a ɛho hia mu no kwan. Nea enye sen biara ne sɛ, nicotine ma mogya ntini no mu kyere, ade foforo a esiw mframa pa ano. Enti na wɔn a wɔnom sigaret nya komayare pii no.

Nsonom kuru, nyinsɛn a ɛsɛe, nkokoaa a wodi dɛm, obi fãfã a ewu​—eyinom yɛ asiane afoforo pii a ɛda hɔ ma wɔn a wɔnom sigaret no mu bi ara kwa. Afe biara tawa kunkum nnipa ɔpepem 2.5 wɔ wiase nyinaa. Eyinom mu bɛboro 400,000 si United States nkutoo. U.S. nnuruyɛfo panyin no ka sɛ: “Wɔ United States no, nea ɛboro nnipa asia a wowu no mu biako fi sigaretnom. Sigaretnom da so yɛ ade a ɛde owu ba a ɛho hia a wobetumi akwati wɔ yɛn mu.” Nnuruyɛfo bi ka sɛ awiei koraa no, sigaretnom bekunkum nnipa bɛyɛ ɔpepem 200 a mprempren wonnii mfe 20 no.

Nanso ɛnyɛ sigaretnomfo no ho nkutoo na wopira. Ɛdenam afoforo a wɔhyɛ wɔn ma wɔhome wɔn wusiw a ɛyɛ awuduru no so no, wɔde wɔn a wɔnnom sigaret no nso to asiane ahorow a ɛne sɛ wobenya ahrawa mu akisikuru ne komayare no mu.

Woankasa Gyinae a Wubesi

Ɛnde, ɛnyɛ nwonwa sɛ aman pii abɔ mmɔden de kɔkɔbɔ ama nnipa wɔ tawa mu asiane ahorow ho anaasɛ wosiw ne nom ano. Nanso, ɛte sɛ nea emu asiane ahorow a wɔka ho asɛm no mfa mmofra pii ho. Holly a wadi mfe 15 no ka sɛ: “Sɛ mesɔ sigaret a, na me koma atɔ me yam. Minsusuw da sɛ menya akisikuru.”

Mmebusɛm bi a nyansa wom bɔ kɔkɔ sɛ: “Onitefo hu bɔne a ɛbɛba, na ɔde ne ho hintaw, ntetekwaa fa mu, na wonya asotwe.” (Mmebusɛm 27:12) So wopɛ sɛ wunya tawa nkɛntɛnso mu asotwe no a ɛne akisikuru, komayare ne ahrawa mu nyarewa ahorow no ankasa? So nicotine a wobɛbow no fata wanom a ɛbɛbɔn, ɔwaw ne wo se a ɛbɛdow no?

Afei ntease titiriw nti a ɛsɛ sɛ wokwati sigaretnom no wɔ hɔ: ɔpɛ a wubenya sɛ wukura wo ne Onyankopɔn ntam adamfofa mu. Sɛ wode akyɛde a ne bo yɛ den ma obi na ɔtow kyene a, so ɛrennyɛ wo yaw? Wiɛ, Onyankopɔn ma yɛn “nkwa ne ahome.‘’ (Asomafo no Nnwuma 17:25) Sɛ wode akyɛde yi di dwuma wɔ ɔkwammɔne so a, susuw sɛnea ɔbɛte nka no ho! Enti ɔsomafo Paulo kyerɛwee sɛ: “Afei sɛ yɛwɔ saa bɔhyɛ [a ɛne sɛ yɛne Onyankopɔn wɔ abusuabɔ pa] yi nti, adɔfo, momma yɛnhohoro yɛn ho mfi ɔhonam ne honhom mu fi nyinaa mu, na yɛawie yɛn ahotew Onyankopɔn suro mu.” (2 Korintofo 7:1) Sigaretnom yɛ nea ɛsen obi honam a ɛde nnuru a edi awu gu ho fi no, egu obi honhom anaa nea ɛyɛ ne nsusuwii titiriw no nso ho fi. Sigaretnom yɛ ɔporɔw, pɛsɛmenkominya, adebɔne.

Eyi nyinaa akyi no, mmofra pii da so ara pɛ sɛ wɔsɔ sigaretnom hwɛ. Yɛbɛka nea enti a eyi te saa ne sɛnea abofra betumi agyina nhyɛso no ano no ho asɛm wɔ asɛm bi a ɛbɛba daakye mu.

[Kratafa 19 mfoni]

Ansa no wobɛma aka wo hɔ no, susuw nneɛma ahorow a obefi mu aba no ho