Achichepere Akufunsa Kuti . . .

Kodi Kusuta Kulidi Koipa Motero?

KUSUTA kunamsangalatsa Oren kuyambira pamene anali wamng’ono. Pamene azakhali ake ankayatsa ndudu zawo, anali kumpatsa kuti azime machisi. Pamsinkhu wazaka 16, iye anasankha kuyesa kusuta. Anapita kuphwando ndipo anapempha msungwana wina kuti ampatseko ndudu—koma anadwala asanaimalize.

Pochita manyazi, Oren anasankha “kuyeseza” kusuta ali yekha. Madzulo ena, pambuyo pachakudya, anayatsa ndudu mwamanjenje nasuta. Zinali zodabwitsa chotani! Panthaŵiyi sanamve chizungulire kapena nseru. Posangalatsidwa, anasuta kachiŵirinso nasutanso. Pamene anamaliza ndudu imeneyo, anafuna ina. Ndipo pambuyo pake, anafunabe ina. Kwa zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi zotsatira, Oren anali wosuta wosalekeza.

Kusuta—Kodi Fundelo Lasintha?

Achichepere ambiri lerolino angaseke zochita za Oren. Mogwirizana ndi kufufuza kwa ku United States, 66 peresenti ya azaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19 ofunsidwa anakhulupirira kuti kusuta paketi imodzi kapena ochulukirapo a ndudu patsiku kumaika munthu “paupandu waukulu.” Modabwitsa, zitsutso zina zamphamvu zimachokera kwa osuta eni akewo! Wosuta wina wazaka 16 zakubadwa akuti: “Chiri chizoloŵezi chonyansa.” M’kupenda kumodzi, pafupifupi 85 peresenti ya azaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19 amene anasuta anavomereza kuti analingalira kuti kunali kovulaza. Pafupifupi theka ananena kuti akufuna kuleka—mkati mwa zaka zisanu.

Pamenepo mwachiwonekere, funde lamphamvu lakusavomereza likuwopseza tsopano kutchuka kwa nthaŵi yaitali kwa fodya. Sing’anga wamkulu wazaumoyo wa ku United States ananena motere mu lipoti la mu 1989 lokhala ndi mutu wakuti Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking—25 Years of Progress: “M’ma 1940 ndi 1950, kusuta kunali chamuna; koma tsopano kukukanidwa mowonjezerekawonjezereka. Akatswiri amakanema, ngwazi zamaseŵera, ndi anthu ena otchuka anali kuwonekera pamalonda a ndudu. Lerolino, oseŵera m’drama, ochita maseŵera olira nyonga, anthu otchuka, ndi oyembekezera kukhala atsogoleri andale zadziko samawonedwa kaŵirikaŵiri akusuta. . . . Anthu akhala akuleka kusuta m’ziŵerengero zowonjezereka.”

Mu 1965, pa achikulire onse mu United States, okwanira 40 peresenti anali kusuta. Zaka zoposa 20 pambuyo pake, pafupifupi 29 peresenti yokha amatero. Lipoti la sing’anga wamkulu wazaumoyo likupitiriza kunena kuti “pafupifupi theka la achikulire onse amene ali ndimoyo omwe anasutapo analeka.” Mu 1976, pafupifupi 29 peresenti ya achikulire a m’kalasi yapamwamba yasekondale anali kusuta tsiku ndi tsiku. Zoposa zaka khumi pambuyo pake, okwanira 19 peresenti okha anasuta.

Chotero kungawonekere kuti zowonjezereka zikufunikira kunenedwa pankhani yakusuta. Koma mosasamala kanthu za ndawala zamphamvu zoletsa kusuta ndi machenjezo othedwa nzeru a asing’anga, kugwiritsira ntchito kwa fodya kwapadziko lonse kwawonjezereka modabwitsa! Achikulire okwanira pafupifupi 50 miliyoni a mu United States akupitirizabe kusuta. Ndipo zimene zinamchitikira Oren zikuchitikira achichepere ena ambiri. Tsiku lirilonse azaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19 okwanira 3,000 a mu United States mokha amasuta kwa nthaŵi yoyamba. Kuteroko kumapangitsa chiwonkhetso cha osuta atsopano miliyoni imodzi pachaka! Modabwitsa, ochuluka a omwerekera ndi chikonga atsopanowo ndi asungwana azaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19.

Ndawala Zoletsa Kusuta—Sizatsopano Konse!

Sikukutanthauza kuti anthu samazindikira za maupanduwo. Eya, kale kwambiri ofufuza asanapeze zifukwa zasayansi za kupeŵera kusuta, nzeru inauza anthu kuti kunali chizoloŵezi choipa, chosafunika. Zaka zochepera pa 90 zapitazo, ndudu zinali zoletsedwa m’mbali zambiri za United States. Kupezeka nazo kokha kunali chifukwa chakumangidwira m’madera ena. Ndipo m’mibadwo yapita, miyezo yokhaulitsa kwambiri yachitidwa motsutsana ndi kusuta.

Magazini a Smithsonian amafotokoza miyezo ina yoletsa kusuta yochitidwa m’zaka za zana la 17: “Mu China, lamulo laboma loperekedwa mu 1638 linapangitsa kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwa . . . fodya kukhala upandu wokhala ndi chilango cha kudulidwa mutu. . . . Mu Russia, osuta anali kukwapulidwa; mphuno za apandu obwerezabwereza zinali kung’ambidwa pakati; opalamula osalekeza anathamangitsidwira ku Siberia. Mu Persia, anali kuzunzidwa, kupachikidwa ndi/kapena kudulidwa mutu.”

Kunena zowona, zilango zoterozo zinali zopambanitsa ndiponso zankhalwe. Koma m’njira yawoyawo, osuta amachitira nkhalwe matupi awo enieniwo.

Kusuta—Zimene Kumachita ku Thupi Lanu

Chikonga ndi nsanganizo imene imapangitsa fodya kukhala chisonkhezero choipa. Komabe, The World Book Encyclopedia imanena kuti: “Chikonga chodzaza pachala—pafupifupi mamiligramu 60 (1/500 ounce)—chingaphe wachikulire ngati chidyedwa panthaŵi imodzi. Ndudu wamba imakhala ndi miligramu imodzi (1/30,00 ounce) ya chikonga.”

Chikonga chirinso chomwerekeretsa mwamphamvu. Lipoti la sing’anga wamkulu wazaumoyo wa ku United States likumaliza kuti: “Osuta ambiri amayamba kusuta ali azaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19 ndiyeno amakhala omwerekera. . . . Lerolino, 80 peresenti ya osuta amanena kuti angakonde kuleka; osuta aŵiri mwa atatu anapanga kuyesayesa kosamalitsa kwa kuleka.” Kaŵirikaŵiri kuyesayesa koteroko kumalepheretsedwa ndi zizindikiro zopweteka za kusungulumwa: chilakolako chopweteka cha fodya, kusadekha, kukwiya, kudera nkhaŵa, kupweteka kwamutu, kuwodzera, kutseguka m’mimba, ndi kulephera kusumika maganizo.

Komabe, ndudu zimachita zambiri kuposa kungowononga munthu ndi chikonga; ndudu yoyaka ili fakitale yothekera ya paizoni, yotulutsa zinthu zamankhwala zosiyanasiyana zoposa 4,000. Makumi anayi mphambu zitatu a mankhwala ameneŵa azindikiridwa kukhala oyambitsa kansa. Ena a iwo ali mumpangidwe wa phula lolimba lomwe limakangamira ku mapapo ndi m’njira zopita mpweya zotsogolera ku mapapo. Izi zingapangitse kansa ya m’mapapo pambuyo pake. Kusuta kumalingaliridwanso kukhala “kochititsa kansa ya m’chikhodzodzo, nsoso, ndi imso; ndi kugwirizanitsidwa ndi kansa ya m’mimba.”—Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking.

Kungatengere wosuta zaka zambiri kuti akhale ndi kansa. Koma ndudu imodzi yokha ili yovulaza kwenikweni. Chikonga chimapangitsa mtima wanu kugunda mofulumira, kuwonjezera kufunika kwa oxygen m’thupi mwanu. Mwatsoka, utsi wa ndudu umakhalanso ndi carbon monoxide—mpweya wapaizoni wotulutsidwa ndi magalimoto. Nsanganizo yaululu imeneyi imathamangira m’mwazi ndikutsekereza kuyenda kwa oxygen wopita ku mtima ndi ziŵalo zina zofunika koposa. Choipitsitsa nchakuti, chikonga chimatsekereza mitsempha yamwazi, kuchepetsa mowonjezereka kuyenda kwa oxygen. Chotero osuta ali ndi kuthekera kokulira kwa matenda amtima.

Zironda zam’mimba, kupita padera, ana opunduka, mastroke—aŵa ndi maupandu oŵerengeka okha pakati pa maupandu ambiri amene osuta amayang’anizana nawo. Chaka chirichonse imfa zokwanira 2.5 miliyoni zogwirizanitsidwa ndi fodya zimachitika padziko lonse. Zoposa 400,000 za imfa zimenezi zimachitika mu United States mokha. Sing’anga wamkulu wazaumoyo wa ku United States akunena kuti: “Kusuta kuli ndi thayo la yoposa imfa imodzi mwa imfa zisanu ndi imodzi zirizonse mu United States. Kusuta kudakali chochititsa imfa chimodzi chachikulu chokhoza kupeŵedwa m’chitaganya chathu.” Akuluakulu ena azaumoyo amaopa kuti potsirizira pake kusuta kudzapha anthu ochuluka ofika pa 200 miliyoni ochepera pa msinkhu wazaka 20.

Koma osuta samangodzivulaza okha. Mwakukakamiza ena kupuma utsi wawo waululu, iwo amaikanso osasuta paupandu wa kansa ya m’mapapo ndi matenda ena a dongosolo lopumira.

Kupanga Chosankha Chanuchanu

Pamenepo, nkosadabwitsa kwenikweni kuti dziko limodzi pambuyo pa linzake latenga masitepe kuchenjeza anthu za maupandu a fodya kapena kuletsa kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwake. Komabe, kugogomezera maupandu kukuwonekera kukhala ndi chiyambukiro chochepa pa achichepere ambiri. Holly wazaka 15 zakubadwa akunena kuti: “Pamene ndiyatsa ndudu, ndimadzimva womasuka. Sindimalingalira konse zodwala kansa.”

Mwambi wanzeru umachenjeza kuti: ‘Wochenjera aona zoipa, nabisala; koma achibwana angopitirira, nalipitsidwa.’ (Miyambo 27:12) Kodi mumafunadi kuvutika ndi malipiro a kumwerekera ndi fodya, otchedwa, kansa, matenda a mtima, ndi matenda a dongosolo lopumira? Kodi lingaliro losangalatsa lopangitsidwa ndi chikonga liri loyenerera kupuma mpweya woipawo, kutsokomola kwakukulu, ndi manu achikasu?

Kumbali ina, pali zifukwa zazikulu zopeŵera kusuta: chikhumbo chanu chakukhalabe ndi ubwenzi wabwino ndi Mulungu. Kodi mungadzimve kukhala wolakwiridwa ngati munapatsa munthu wina mphatso yamtengo wapatali ndipo iye anaitaya? Eya, Mulungu amatipatsa “moyo ndi mpweya.” (Machitidwe 17:25) Tangoyerekezerani mmene amamverera pamene mugwiritsira ntchito molakwa mphatso imeneyo! Mtumwi Paulo analemba kuti: ‘Pokhala nawo tsono malonjezano ameneŵa [akukhala ndi unansi wovomerezedwa ndi Mulungu], okondedwa, tidzikonzere tokha kuleka chodetsa chonse cha thupi ndi cha mzimu, ndi kutsiriza chiyero m’kuopa Mulungu.’ (2 Akorinto 7:1) Kusuta kumachita zambiri kuposa kungodetsa thupi, kuipitsa thupi la munthuyo ndi mankhwala aululu; kumadetsanso mzimu wa munthuyo, kapena mphamvu yokhalitsa yamaganizo. Kusuta kuli koipa, kwadyera, kopanda umulungu.

Mosasamala kanthu za zonsezi, achichepere ambiri amayesabe kusuta. Chifukwa chimene izi ziri choncho ndi mmene wachichepere angachilimikire zitsenderezo zoterozo udzakhala mutu wa nkhani yamtsogolo.

[Chithunzi patsamba 19]

Musanadzilole kugwidwa, lingalirani za zotulukapo zake