Sigup

Sigup means rokok. Initially I thought this word was only used in Brunei but it seems like it is also used in Sabah and Sarawak.

Well, looks like tobacco is front page news again. It was in this weeks Friday Prayers Sermon. This is one of the best sermons on smoking yet. I particularly like the way verse from the Holy Quran was used to denounce the habit. Smoking is dangerous for the smoker as well as those around the smoker, also known as passive smoking. This includes families and loved ones. Smoking is also named as a wasteful habit, imagine how much money is wasted by smokers.

The sermon also pointed out that this years theme for World No Tobacco Day celebrations is "Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise". Form means any mothod of delivery of this deadly substance. Most common is cigarettes, death in a small package. Others include cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and shisha.

In Brunei, shisha seems to be a trend amongst youngsters especially in certain restaurants I will try not to name. I have even seen young teenagers sharing the deadly smoke in the premises. Eventhough smoke would pass through water first, the deadly chemicals and carcinogens (cancer causing agents). The addiction will start from this point and a lifelong destructive habit will also begin.

Tobacco can also be disguised. To individuals who do not smoke this may sound absurd, how can something so obvious be disguised to trick smokers to continue smoking and would-be smokers be trapped into the habit. There are many ways to disguise the dangers of smoking. They are marketed as low tar, mild, slim and some even have flavoring such as apple, fruity. There are even fancy packaging, I have even seen some boxes in duty free shops resembling perfume boxes.

The sermon also mentioned the Tobacco Act 2005. This is a huge step in the control of tobacco in Brunei. I have seen the FAQ, will try to post it in the next few days so more people will know about it.

Lastly, help is available for smokers who are willing to stop smoking. There are Smoking Cessation Clinics in every district now.

This is just a brief view of the problem and I hope the authorities will be able to get the support from the public to reduce the problem of smoking in the country. Please give me your thoughts.