UNHOLY SMOKE!

I don't think we will ever win the battle to get people to stop smoking. This picture shows a bunch of people who are staff of the hospital I work in happily puffing away in the cafetaria right under the sign that says "No Smoking". Why can't we win? Because there is no enforcement (as with most laws in this country). Why is there no enforcement? Because the very people who are supposed to enforce it are smokers themselves. That said, a significant number of my fellow doctors are smokers too!

The deleterious effect of smoking can only be seen 20-30 years down the road. I am sure the government knows very well that smoking is bad. There is a well established causal link between smoking and lung cancer and a host of other diseases. Is it doing enough to curb smoking? No!..why? Because the immediate profit from tobacco sale appears far more enticing that the long term loss in treating the bad effects of smoking.

Just so you know, the cost of chemotherapy for lung cancer is anything between 8K to 20K depending on what is the type of cancer and the chemotherapy agent used. That is assuming that the cancer can be treated. A chest physician in my department estimated that we will see an epidermic of lung cancer some time in 2020! Yup, Malaysia Boleh indeed! Yessiree, we will PAY for it eventually.

My advise? If you gotta smoke, don't exhale...