The Lady in Yellow

As I sat poring over the recent news regarding the new legislation passed in New Zealand banning cigarettes and tobacco products for the upcoming generations, specifically those born post 2008, I could not help thinking about ‘the lady in yellow’.

I remember as a child I used to despise the smell of cigarette smoke, may be because I come from a family of non-smokers. Later on, when I learnt in Science that smoking is injurious to health, and passive smokers are more at risk than active smokers, I felt grateful and indebted to my father who didn’t smoke. Of course, my mother didn’t come to my mind because I had never spotted any smoking woman.

However, of late, smoking has been gaining immense popularity among the youth, and as we move towards a gender-neutral society, girls and women are very much a part of the smoking community. ?

On a balmy October afternoon four years ago, my friend and I were strolling in the corridor of Sector 9 showrooms in Panchkula. Just then, we caught the sight of a charming young lady dressed in an ethnic yellow Punjabi suit. With all her finery and vermilion in the partition of her hair, she seemed to be a newly-wed Indian bride. It being Thursday, the day on which numerous pious Hindus, especially women, observe a fast, we deduced that she too was probably on a fast. At that moment, she was the epitome of Indian culture, one who had taken the responsibility of keeping the Indian customs and traditions alive on her shoulders.

Well, what happened next, left both of us flabbergasted and speechless. She walked to the nearby cigarette vendor and within a few seconds, nonchalantly let out a puff of smoke from her brightly coloured lips! Obviously, she was very much oblivious of those around or didn’t care, and took the liberty to indulge. By the way, I too believe that we should do what we like without bothering – ‘what people would think’ – which is exactly what most Indians think and constantly worry about.

It was not for the first time that we were witnessing an Indian female smoking; it was just that the cigarette probably didn’t go with her traditional getup.

The incident set me pondering – ‘Why is the tobacco wave sweeping the young generation?’ A clear warning is there on tobacco products, even in movies and serials, and educational institutions also do their bit in imparting knowledge about the adverse effects of smoking, yet despite knowing that smoking is a noxious pursuit, youngsters tend to flaunt it.

Is it a part of being modern? Are media and celebrities to be held responsible? Is it peer pressure? Is stress the culprit? Does it boost creativity?

Anyway, I feel New Zealand has taken a commendable step in the direction of promoting the well-being of its future human resource, and to save an estimated US$3.2 billion that would otherwise have to be expended in treating smoking-induced maladies. Can other countries take a cue from New Zealand, and for a healthier tomorrow, come up with innovative laws regulating and restricting the use of tobacco-based products?

Image Source:?Dimitri Bong?on?Unsplash