Abantu Abaselula Bayabuza . . .
Ngaba Ngokwenene Ukutshaya Kubi Ngolo Hlobo?
UKUTSHAYA kwakunomtsalane gqitha kuOren ukususela ebuntwaneni bakhe. Xa uninakazi wayedla ngokulumeka umdiza, wayedla ngokumvumela kuba acime umcinga wematshisi ngokuwuvuthela. Xa wayeneminyaka eli-16 ubudala wagqiba kwelokuba alinge ukutshaya. Waya kwelinye itheko waza elapho wacela umdiza kwenye intombazana—kodwa wasuka wagula ngaphambi kokuba awugqibe.
Ekubeni isidima sakhe sobudoda sasonakalisiwe, uOren wagqiba kwelokuba “aqhelisele” ukutshaya ngasese. Ngenye ingokuhlwa emva kwesidlo esikhulu, ngokuphakuzela walumeka umdiza waza watsala umsi. Onjani umothuko! Ngeli xesha akazange abe nasiyezi okanye sicaphucaphu. Anelisekile, waphinda watsala umsi. Xa wawugqibayo loo mdiza, wafuna omnye. Yaye emva koko, omnye kwakhona. Kwiminyaka emithandathu kamva, uOren waba yintshayi etshaya umdiza emva komnye.
Ukutshaya—Ngaba Kuye Kwakho Inguqulelo Koku?
Ulutsha oluninzi namhlanje lunokukugxeka okwenziwa nguOren. Ngokuvisisana nohlolisiso lwaseUnited States, ama-66 ekhulwini abeshumi elivisayo okwadliwanw’ indlebe nabo bakholelwa kwelokuba ukutshaya ipakethe enye yomdiza okanye ngaphezulu ngemini kubeka umntu “engozini enkulu.” Okuhlekisayo kukuba, abona bantu bayigxeka kakhulu le nto yayiziintshayi ngokwazo! Enye intshayi eneminyaka eli-16 ubudala ithi: “Kungumkhwa owenyanyekayo.” Kolunye uhlolisiso phantse ama-85 ekhulwini abakwishumi elivisayo ababetshaya bavuma ukuba babecinga ukuba kwakusenzakalisa. Phantse isiqingatha sabo sathi sasiceba ukuyeka—oko kukuthi, kwiminyaka emihlanu.
Ngoko, kuyabonakala ukuba ukugxekwa okuphandle, kusongela udumo ekudala lukho lwecuba. Ingxelo yowe-1989 kagqirha wesizwe waseUnited States eyayinomxholo othi Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking—25 Years of Progress ithi: “Kwiminyaka yee-1940 neyee-1950, ukutshaya kwakusexesheni; ngoku, ngokwandileyo, kuyaphetshwa. Abadlali ababalaseleyo bemiboniso-bhanyabhanya, amaqhawe ezemidlalo, nabanye abantu abadumileyo babedla ngokuvela kwizibhengezo zemidiza. Namhlanje, abadlali, iimbaleki, abantu abadumileyo, namalungu ezobupolitika awafane abonwe etshaya. . . . Abemi bayayeka ukutshaya ngamanani awandayo.”
Ngowe-1965, kubo bonke abantu abakhulileyo eUnited States ama-40 ekhulwini ayetshaya. Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-20 kamva, kuphela ngabanokuba ngama-29 ekhulwini abebetshaya. Ingxelo kagqirha wesizwe ihlabela mgama isithi “phantse isiqingatha sabo bonke abantu abakhulileyo ababekhe batshaya baye bakuyeka.” Ngowe-1976, abanokuba ngama-29 ekhulwini ababekumabanga aphezulu kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo babetshaya imihla ngemihla. Ngaphezu kweminyaka elishumi kamva, li-19 ekhulwini kuphela ebelitshaya.
Ngoko ke, kusenokubonakala ngathi akukho nto ingako emelwe ithethwe ngombandela wecuba. Kodwa phezu kwawo nje amaphulo anzima achasene nokutshaya nezilumkiso ezoyikekayo ezivela koogqirha, ukusetyenziswa kwecuba kwazwenibanzi kuye kwanda ngokuphawulekayo! Abantu abakhulileyo abanokuba zizigidi ezingama-50 eUnited States baqhubeka betshaya. Yaye oko kwenzekayo kuOren kuyenzeka nakolunye ulutsha oluninzi. Suku ngalunye eUnited States kuphela abakwishumi elivisayo abanokuba ngama-3 000 baqalisa ukutshaya okwesihlandlo sokuqala. Oko kongezelela kwinani elixhomis’ amehlo leentshayi ezintsha ezisisigidi esinye ngonyaka! Ngokumangalisayo, inkoliso yamakhoboka amatsha esiyobisi esifumaneka ecubeni (nicotine) ngamantombazana akwishumi elivisayo.
Amaphulo Achasene Nokutshaya—Akukho Nto Intsha Kuwo!
Asikuko ukuba abantu abazazi iingozi zako. Kudala ngaphambi kokuba abaphandi bafumanise izizathu ezingokwenzululwazi zokuphepha ukutshaya, ingqondo yemvelo yabaxelela abantu ukuba yayingumkhwa ongacocekanga, nonganqwenelekiyo. Kwiminyaka engaphantsi kwama-90 eyadlulayo, imidiza yayingekho mthethweni kwimimandla emininzi yaseUnited States. Ukuba nayo nje kwakusisizathu sokubanjwa kweminye imimandla. Yaye kwiminyaka edluleyo kuye kwamiselwa imilinganiselo engqongqo ngakumbi nxamnye nokutshaya.
Iphephancwadi iSmithsonian lichaza eminye imilinganiselo echasene nokutshaya eyathatyathwa kwinkulungwane ye-17 lisithi: “ETshayina, umthetho wasebukhosini owakhutshwa ngowe-1638 wenza ukusetyenziswa . . . kwecuba kwalulwaphulo-mthetho olwalunesohlwayo sokunqunyulwa intloko. . . . ERashiya, iintshayi zazitywatyushwa kanobom; imingxuma yempumlo yaboni abaphindaphindayo yayisikwa, izaphuli-mthetho ezineenkani zazigxothelwa eSiberia. EPersi, babethuthunjiswa, bexhonywa ezibondeni zemithi okanye banqunyulwe iintloko.”
Kuyavunywa ukuba, izohlwayo ezinjalo zaziqatha yaye zikhohlakele. Kodwa ngendlela ezenza ngayo nazo, iintshayi ziyayikhohlakalela imizimba yazo.
Ukutshaya—Oko Kukwenzayo Emzimbeni Wakho
Isiyobisi esifumaneka ecubeni sisithako esinika icuba umtsalane walo osongelayo. Phofu ke, iThe World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Intwana yesi siyobisi sifumaneka ecubeni—esinokuba ngama-60 eemiligram (1/500 yeawunsi)—sinokumbulala umntu okhulileyo ukuba sinokuginywa ngexesha elinye. Umdiza omnye unemiligram enye (1/30 000 yeawunsi) yesi siyobisi sifumaneka ecubeni.”
Esi siyobisi sifumaneka ecubeni naso sikhobokisa ngamandla. Ingxelo kagqirha wesizwe waseUnited States iqukumbela ngelithi: “Inkoliso yeentshayi ziqalisa ukutshaya zisekwishumi elivisayo zize zibe ngamakhoboka. . . . Namhlanje, iintshayi ezingama-80 ekhulwini zithi bezingathanda ukuyeka, abantu ababini kwabathathu abatshayayo baye benza ubuncinane umzamo onyanisekileyo wokuyeka.” Imizamo enjalo ngokufuthi idodotyaliswa ziimpawu ezibuhlungu zokurhoxa ezinjengezi: ukunqanqatheka, ukungazinzi, ukuthukuthezelwa, ukubethelwa luvalo, iingqaqambo zentloko, ukozela, ukuphazamiseka kwesisu, nokungakwazi ukuzikis’ ingqondo.
Noko ke, imidiza yenza okungaphezulu kunokungcolisa nje ubani ngesi siyobisi sifumaneka ecubeni; umdiza olumekiweyo ungumzi-mveliso onetyhefu ngokwenene, okhupha amachiza awahlukahlukeneyo angama-4 000. Kula machiza, angamashumi amane anesithathu aye afunyaniswa ukuba abangela umhlaza. Amanye anjengentshongo encangathi encamathela kwimiphunga nakwimibhobho yomoya eya emiphungeni. Kamva oku kunokubangela umhlaza emiphungeni. Kukwakholelwa ukuba ukutshaya “kuyenye into efak’ isandla kumhlaza wesinyi, wedlala elisesiswini nowezintso; yaye kunxulunyaniswa nomhlaza wesisu.”—Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking.
Kusenokuthabatha iminyaka emininzi ngentshayi ukuba ibe nomhlaza. Kodwa umdiza nje omnye unokuba yingozi. Isiyobisi esifumaneka ecubeni siyibangela intliziyo yakho ibethe ngokukhawuleza, sisandisa ioksijini efunwa ngumzimba wakho. Ngelishwa, umsi womdiza uqulethe ikharbon monoksayidi—igesi enetyhefu ekhutshwa ngumbhobho womoya wenqwelo-mafutha. Le tyhefu iya kumsinga wegazi yaye ithintela ioksijini ukuba ingayi entliziyweni nakwamanye amalungu omzimba abalulekileyo. Okude kwakubi nangakumbi kukuba, esi siyobisi siminxa imithambo-luvo, sinciphisa ngakumbi isantya sokuhamba kweoksijini. Ngaloo ndlela iintshayi zinomlinganiselo ophakame ngokothusayo wesifo sentliziyo.
Izilonda ezisesiswini, ukuphuma kwezisu, ukuzala abantwana abaneziphene, ukufa amalungu omzimba (strokes)—ezi zezinye nje zeengozi iintshayi ezijamelene nazo. Nyaka ngamnye ehlabathini jikelele kufa abantu abanokuba sisi-2,5 sezigidi ngenxa yezigulo ezinxulumene necuba. Abantu abangaphezu kwama-400 000 kwaba bafa eUnited States kuphela. Ugqirha wesizwe waseUnited States uthi: “Ukutshaya kubulala umntu ongaphezu komnye kwabathandathu eUnited States. Ukutshaya kungoyena nobangela wokufa obaluleke gqitha onokuthinteleka kwibutho lethu.” Abanye abasemagunyeni kwezempilo boyikela ukuba ukutshaya ekugqibeleni kuya kubulala abantu abanokufikelela kuma-200 ezigidi ngoku abangaphantsi kweminyaka engama-20 ubudala.
Kodwa iintshayi azenzakalisi zona kuphela. Ngokunyanzela abanye ukuba basezele imisi yazo eyityhefu, zikwachanaba abantu abangatshayiyo kwingozi yomhlaza wemiphunga nakwezinye izifo zemibhobho yokuphefumla.
Ukuzenzela Isigqibo
Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba, amazwe amaninzi eye athabatha amanyathelo okulumkisa abantu ngeengozi zecuba okanye ukulawula ukusetyenziswa kwalo. Noko ke, ukubalaselisa iingozi kubonakala kunomphumo omncinane kulutsha oluninzi. UHolly oneminyaka eli-15 ubudala uthi: “Xa ndilumeka umdiza, ndiziva ndikhululekile. Andikhe ndicinge ngokuba nomhlaza.”
Umzekeliso wobulumko ulumkisa ngokuthi: “Onobuqili uyabubona ububi, azimele; ke zona iziyatha zigqitha kubo, zohlwaywe.” (IMizekeliso 27:12) Ngaba ngenene uyakufuna ukuva ubuhlungu ngenxa yokukhotyokiswa licuba, oko kukuthi, umhlaza, isifo sentliziyo, nezifo zemibhobho yokuphefumla? Ngaba ukulungele ukuba nomlomo onevumba elibi, ukukhohlela ngamandla, namazinyo amthubi ngenxa nje yesiyobisi esifumaneka ecubeni esikunika imvakalelo yolwaneliseko?
Kwelinye icala, sikho isizathu esibaluleke ngakumbi sokuphepha ukutshaya: umnqweno wakho wokulondoloza ubuhlobo noThixo. Ngaba ubungayi kukhubeka ukuba ubuphe umntu othile isipho esixabisekileyo waza lowo wasilahla kude? Kaloku, uThixo usinika “ubomi nomphefumlo.” (IZenzo 17:25) Khawuthelekelele indlela avakalelwa ngayo xa usisebenzisa kakubi eso sipho! Ngaloo ndlela umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “Sinawo nje ngoko la madinga [okuba nolwalamano olwamkelekileyo noThixo], zintanda, masizihlambulule kuko konke ukudyobheka kwenyama nokomoya sibufeza ubungcwele, sisoyika uThixo.” (2 Korinte 7:1) Ukutshaya kwenza okungaphezulu kunokudyobha inyama nje kuphela, kungcolise umzimba kabani ngamachiza ayingozi; kwakhona kudyobha nomoya kabani okanye awona mandla kabani engqondo. Ukutshaya kusisenzo esonakalisayo sokuzingca nesokungahloneli Thixo.
Phezu kwazo zonke ezi zinto, ulutsha oluninzi lusalingelwa ekutshayeni. Ukuba siyintoni isizathu kwanendlela olunokuxhathisa ngayo kwiingcinezelo ezinjalo kuya kuba ngumxholo wenqaku lexesha elizayo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]
Ngaphambi kokuba uzivumele ubambiseke, cinga ngemiphumo