Imidiza—Ngaba Uyayichasa?
Isizwe esanceda ekuveliseni icuba kwihlabathi siyakhokela ekulumkiseni ngeengozi zalo.
UMBHALI-MBALI othile wabhala wathi: “Icuba alinambali ibhaliweyo ngaphambi kokufunyanwa kweMerika.” Abemi bomthonyama kwimimandla yeCaribbean balipha uColumbus. Ukuthunyelwa kwalo kwamanye amazwe kwaqinisekisa ukuma kweJamestown, ithanga lokuqala laseBritani kuMntla Merika. Ukuthengiswa kwalo kwanceda ekuxhaseni ngemali Imvukelo yamaMerika. Kwaye abongameli bangaphambili baseUnited States uGeorge Washington noThomas Jefferson babengabalimi becuba.
Kumaxesha akutshanje, iHollywood isebenzise imidiza njengophawu lothando, umtsalane, nobudoda. Amajoni aseMerika ayinika abantu ayedibana nabo kumazwe ayesilwa kuwo. Yaye kuthiwa emva kwemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini, imidiza yayisetyenziswa njengemali “ukusuka eParis ukusa ePeking.”
Kodwa izinto zaguquka. NgoJanuwari 11, 1964, ugqirha wezotyando waseUnited States wakhupha ingxelo enamaphepha angama-387 eyayinxibelelanisa ukutshaya nesifo i-emphysema, umhlaza wemiphunga, kwanezinye izifo eziyingozi. Ngokukhawuleza umthetho wasekuhlaleni wafuna ukuba kubhalwe amazwi athi “Isilumkiso: Ukutshaya Imidiza Kusenokuba Yingozi Kwimpilo Yakho” kuzo zonke iipakethe zecuba ezithengiswa eUnited States. Ngoku, kuthiwa icuba libulala abantu abaqikelelwa kuma-434 000 nyaka ngamnye eUnited States. Elo nani lingaphezulu lee kwelo lamaMerika abulawa edabini kwinkulungwane egqithileyo!
Imiqathango Eyabekwayo
Ngaphezu kweminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo, eAspen, eColorado, indawo edumileyo yokuzonwabisa yasebusika, kwalelwa ukutshaya kwiindawo zokudlela. Ukususela ngoko, icandelo labantu abangatshayiyo liye laba yinto eqheleke kakhulu kwiindawo zokudlela, emsebenzini nakwezinye iindawo zikawonke-wonke. Kwiminyaka eliqela eyadlulayo, utata othile waseKhalifoniya wabuza kwintombi yakhe icandelo labangatshayiyo kwindawo yokudlela eVirginia. Yaphendula yathi: “Tata, eli lilizwe lecuba!” Ngethuba lokutyelela kwakhe kwakhona, isiqingatha saloo ndlu yokudlela sasibekelwe abangatshayiyo. Kutshanje, khange abone namnye utshayayo apho.
Kodwa ukuba namacandelo ahlukileyo abatshayayo akukhange kuyicombulule ingxaki. Iibhodi ezinkulu zezibhengezo ezihlawulelwa ngurhulumente ecaleni koohola bendlela eKhalifoniya zinombuzo othi: “Ucinga ukuba umsi wecuba uyakwazi ukuphelela kuloo ndawo ukuyo?”
Xa isiXeko saseNew York sakuvalayo ukutshaya kwiindawo zaso ezinkulu zokudlela, abaninizo bakuchasa oko ngelithi kuya kuphazamisa abakhenkethi abasuka eYurophu apho, bathi, imbalwa imithetho elawula ukutshaya. Sekunjalo, kuhlolisiso lwakutshanje kuye kwafunyaniswa ukuba abangama-56 ekhulwini kumaMerika batyekele ngakumbi ekuyeni kwiindawo zokudlela ekungatshaywayo kuzo, ngoxa ingama-26 ekhulwini abangatyekelanga ekwenzeni oko.
Umqondiso okuloliwe ohamba ngaphantsi kwisiXeko saseNew York uthi: “Kulo naluphi na ulwimi umyalezo uyafana: Akutshaywa nanini na, naphi na, kwizikhululo zethu okanye koololiwe bethu. Enkosi.” Loo mqondiso awuwuchazi lo myalezo ngesiNgesi kuphela kodwa nangezinye iilwimi ezili-15.
Ngaba lo mbandela unzulu kangako? Ewe. Ukuba abantu abangama-300 bebenokufa kwintlekele enkulu, ibiya kuba ngundaba-mlonyeni kangangeentsuku, mhlawumbi kwaneeveki. Kodwa inqaku elikwiThe Journal of the American Medical Association lathi kuqikelelwa ukuba amaMerika angama-53 000 ayafa nyaka ngamnye ngenxa yemiphumo ehlala ihleli yokuphefumla umsi ophuma kwimidiza yabo batshayayo. Lathi, oko kwenza ukuba ukuphefumla umsi wecuba ovela kwabanye abantu, okanye kumoya osingqongileyo, kube “ngunobangela wesithathu wokufa obekunokuthintelwa emva kokutshaya okanye utywala.”
Abantwana—Amaxhoba Angenakuzinceda
Kodwa kuthekani ngokutshaya ekhaya? Impapasho yorhulumente waseUnited States iHealthy People 2000, eyabeka usukelo lokunciphisa “ukufa ngaphambi kwexesha nezifo neziphene ezingeyomfuneko,” yathi: “Ukusetyenziswa kwecuba kungunobangela wokufa kwabantu abangaphezu komnye kwabathandathu abafayo eUnited States yaye yeyona nto enokuthintelwa ebangela ukufa nezifo kwibutho lethu.”
Yongezelela yathi: “Ukutshaya imidiza ebudeni bokukhulelwa kubangela ukuzalwa kweentsana ezinobunzima obuphantsi ezingama-20 ukusa kwezingama-30 ekhulwini, ukusa kwi-14 ekhulwini leentsana ezizalwa ngaphambi kwexesha, yaye zimalunga ne-10 ekhulwini iintsana ezifayo.” Kuthiwa, oomama abatshayayo banokudlulisela oko kufumaneka ecubeni, kungekuphela nje ngokuncancisa usana okanye ngokutshaya kufuphi nalo kodwa “kwanangokufaka usana kwigumbi ebekusandul’ ukutshaywa kulo.”
Ootata nabo babandakanyekile. Kwaeli nqaku lacebisa lathi: “Ukuba abantu abadibana nabantwana bamele batshaye, bafanele batshaye ngaphandle, okanye kwiindawo umoya ungenakufikelela apho kukho umntwana.” Ingozi iba ngakumbi xa lisanda inani labantu abadala abatshayela egumbini elinye yaye lisanda nenani lemidiza abayitshayayo. Ngenxa yoko, uJoycelyn Elders, owayesakuba ngugqirha wezotyando waseUnited States, wathi: “Abantwana bakho ngamaxhoba amsulwa aloo nto ulikhoboka layo.”
Nabanye abantu bakwasesichengeni. Isibhengezo esihlawulelwa ngurhulumente kumabonwakude eKhalifoniya sabonisa indoda eseyindala ihleli yodwa. Yathi umfazi wayo wayesoloko ‘eyingcungcuthekisa’ ngokutshaya. “Wayede andisongele ngelithi uya kuyeka ukundincamisa ukuba andiyeki. Ndathi yimiphunga yam, kwaye bubomi bam. Kodwa ndandiphosisile. Andizange ndiyeke. Ndandingazi ukuba ubomi endandiza kuphulukana nabo yayingebubo obam . . . Yayibobakhe.” Ikhangele ngokulusizi kumfanekiso wakhe, le ndoda ikhulileyo yongezelela yathi: “Umfazi wam wayebubomi bam.”
Imbono Eguqukileyo
Izilumkiso ezinjalo ziye zanceda kakhulu ekunciphiseni ukutshaya eUnited States. Okumangalisayo kukuba, amaMerika aqikelelwa kuma-46 ezigidi—angama-49,6 ekhulwini abo ebekhe atshaya—ayekile!
Noko ke, iinkampani zecuba zibekela ecaleni imali eninzi yokubhengeza yaye ziyaziphindezela. Liye lehla inani labantu abayekayo ukutshaya. UJoseph A. Califano, Omnci., weCenter on Addiction and Substance Abuse kwiYunivesithi yaseColumbia eNew York, wathi: “Eyona ngozi inkulu ebangelwa yimizi-mveliso yecuba kwimpilo kawonke-wonke kukusebenzisa kwayo izibhengezo nobuchule bayo bokuthengisa obujoliswe ebantwaneni nabakwishumi elivisayo abaliqela elitsha labo banokukhotyokiswa ziimveliso zalo ezibulalayo.”
IThe Journal of the American Medical Association yathi: “Ulutsha oluqikelelwa kuma-3000, inkoliso yalo ngabantwana nabo bafikisayo, suku ngalunye luqalisa ukuba ziintshayi ezivunyiweyo. Oku kubonisa ukuba nyaka ngamnye kukho iintshayi ezintsha ezisisigidi ezithabathela indawo ezimalunga nezigidi ezibini eziyekayo okanye ezifayo nyaka ngamnye.”
Abangaphezu kwesiqingatha kwiintshayi zonke zaseUnited States baqalisa ukutshaya kwisithuba seminyaka eli-14 ubudala. UDavid Kessler, umalathisi we-U.S. Food and Drug Administration, wathi kubantwana abangama-3000 abaqalisa ukutshaya suku ngalunye, phantse abali-1000 baya kufa ekugqibeleni ngenxa yezifo ezinxulumene nako.
Ukuba amanani anjalo ayakukhathaza, kusenokuba kuhle ukukhumbula ukuba abantwana bethu balandela umzekelo wethu. Ukuba asifuni ukuba batshaye, nathi simele singatshayi.
Ukuthengisa Phesheya
Nangona ukusetyenziswa kwecuba kuhlile eUnited States, ukuthengiswa kwalo kwamanye amazwe kuyanda. ILos Angeles Times yathi “icuba elithunyelwa kwamanye amazwe liye laphindeka ngaphezu kwesithathu yaye ukuthengiswa kwalo kwimizi-mveliso ngokubanzi yecuba lisuka eUnited States kuye kwathabath’ unyawo.” IThe New England Journal of Medicine yathi kumazwe asakhasayo “kuncinane kakhulu okuthethwayo ngeengozi zokutshaya,” nto leyo evumela iinkampani zangaphandle “zandise ushishino lwazo ngokukhawuleza.”
Kanti, uPatrick Reynolds, unyana kaR. J. Reynolds, Omnci., ophuma kumnombo walowo waseka inkampani evelisa imidiza iCamel neWinston, wathi umntu omnye kwabahlanu eUnited States ufa ngenxa yokutshaya. Kuthiwa uReynolds wachaza ukuba nyaka ngamnye ukutshaya kubangela ukufa okungakumbi kunecocaine, utywala, iheroin, umlilo, ukuzibulala, ukubulawa, uGawulayo neengozi ezibangelwa zizithuthi xa zizonke yaye kuphela koyena nobangela onokuthintelwa obangela ukufa, izifo nokukhotyokiswa kwixesha lethu.
Ngaba ibonakala ingaqhelekanga into yokuba ilizwe elanceda ihlabathi ukuba lifunde ukutshaya libe lingabonakalisa inkcaso eyandayo ecubeni? Ukuba kunjalo, kuya kuba kuhle ukuba sizibuze, ‘Ngubani oyena ufanele azi?’
Iphephancwadi iModern Maturity libalisa ngomfazi owayetshaya ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-50. Wathi: “Xa sele likukhobokisile akunakukhululeka.” Kodwa wahlukana naloo ngcamango eyayibangele ukuba aqalise ukutshaya, wazihlola izizathu zakhe ezazinokumbangela aqhubeke, waza wayeka.
Wabhala wathi: “Khawuzame, kumnandi gqitha.”
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 28]
Kuye “kwaqikelelwa ukuba ebudeni beminyaka yee-1990 kumazwe ahambele phambili ngempucuko, icuba liya kubangela ukufa kwabantu abamalunga nama-30 ekhulwini phakathi kwabo bakubudala beminyaka engama-35 ukusa kwengama-69, nto leyo ebangela ukuba libe kuphela koyena nobangela mkhulu wokufa ngaphambi kwexesha kwihlabathi elihambele phambili ngempucuko.”—NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]
IZILUMKISO NGOMHLAZA
Ezi zilumkiso zilandelayo zivela kwincwadana enemifanekiso yeAmerican Cancer Society ethi Facts on Lung Cancer nethi Cancer Facts & Figures—1995:
• “Abafazi abangatshayiyo banamathuba angaphezu kwama-35 ekhulwini okuba nomhlaza wemiphunga ukuba amadoda abo ayatshaya.”
• “Kuqikelelwa ukuba amadoda anokuba ngama-90 ekhulwini namabhinqa angama-79 ekhulwini anomhlaza wemiphunga obangelwa kukutshaya.”
• “Umntu otshaya iipakethe ezimbini ngosuku nosele etshaye ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-40, umlinganiselo wokufa obangelwa ngumhlaza wemiphunga umalunga nama-22 ngaphezu kwalowo ungatshayiyo.”
• “Eyona ndlela ibhetele yokuzikhuzisela kumhlaza wemiphunga ikukuba ungaze uqalise ukutshaya, okanye uyeke ngokukhawuleza.”
• “Akukho nto ekunokuthiwa ngumdiza ongenabungozi.”
• “Ukuhlafuna icuba okanye ukusebenzisa igwada kwandisa amathuba amaninzi okuba nomhlaza womlomo, owengqula, owomqala, nowommizo yaye kungumkhwa okhobokisayo.”
• “Abantu ekudala besebenzisa igwada bachanabeke ngokungakumbi kumhlaza wesidlele nowemihlathi phantse ngokuphinda-phindwe kangangama-50.”
• “Abantu abayekayo ukutshaya, kungakhathaliseki ubudala babo, baphila ithuba elidana kunabo baqhubeka betshaya. Iintshayi eziyeka ngaphambi kokuba zibe kubudala beminyaka engama-50 zinamathuba okufa angaphantsi kwama-50 ekhulwini kwiminyaka eli-15 ezayo xa kuthelekiswa nabo baqhubeka betshaya.”
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
INGXAKI YABALIMI
Kangangeenkulungwane icuba liye lazixhasa iintsapho ezineefama ezincinane kakhulu ukuba zingaziphilisa ngaso nasiphi na isilimo. Esi sibakala ngokucacileyo sizifaka engxakini izazela zabantu abaninzi. UStanley Hauerwas, unjingalwazi wemilinganiselo yemfundo ngezakalizwi kwiDuke University, isikolo esasekwa sisinhanha esasithengisa icuba, wathi: “Ndicinga ukuba eyona nto inkulu engcungcuthekisa abantu abalima icuba kukuba . . . xa babeqalisa ukulilima, babengazi ukuba lingaze libulale nabani na.”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]
Umsi awupheleli kuloo ndawo kutshayelwa kuyo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]
Ukutshaya ngoxa ukhulelwe kubangela ukufa kweentsana ezimalunga ne-10 ekhulwini