Rev Temsu Jamir
Executive Secretary, ABAM
The Naga community, deeply rooted in traditions of fellowship and social obligations, thrives on gatherings like, funerals, marriages, Birthdays, meetings, and countless community events where people come together in unity and will continue to practice these traditions with pride and devotion. Yet these very spaces are increasingly threatened by the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. Passive smokers, including children, elders, and vulnerable members of society, are placed at risk when smoking is allowed freely in public gatherings.
In view of safeguarding people from harmful tobacco use, the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) Social Concern Ministry began observing the “Day of Encouragement to Abstain from Intoxicants” on 31 May 2017, incorporating it with World No Tobacco Day. On this day, mass rallies were organized across Mokokchung District, including campaigns to ban the sale of tobacco on the observance. These efforts reflected ABAM’s early commitment to protecting the community from addiction and its consequences. Since then, the ministry has continued to organize programs such as rallies, awareness drives, and bans on tobacco sales during the observance, strengthening the community’s resolve against intoxicants.
Seeing the harmful effects of passive smoking, ABAM Social Concern took a decisive step in 2023 by urging all its churches to deliberate on the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003, especially Section 4, which bans smoking in public places, and to follow it faithfully. Since then, 22 churches and villages have formally adopted resolutions specifically embracing this prohibition, committing themselves to safeguard their people from the dangers of tobacco smoke. This growing movement demonstrates the ABAM’s resolve to protect life, uphold the sanctity of communal spaces, and ensure that gatherings remain safe for all.
Section 4 of COTPA clearly states: “No person shall smoke in any public place.” This provision, backed by the Government of India, seeks to protect non-smokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and uphold the right to clean air. Medical research confirms that second-hand smoke is deadly. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills well over seven million people annually, including 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. It causes lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and respiratory illnesses, with no safe level of exposure.
Unlike alcohol, which announces itself loudly, tobacco smoke attacks silently. It creeps in quietly, filling the air and harming those who never chose to smoke. Many dismiss tobacco smoke as a trivial issue, yet the damage inflicted on non-smokers is immeasurable. It silently shortens lives, steals health, and burdens families with preventable suffering. The landmark BMJ study by Dr. Richard Doll in 2004, based on 50 years of observation of British doctors, showed that smoking reduces life expectancy by about ten years, but quitting early can prevent most of the excess risk. This evidence underscores that smoking-related mortality is preventable.
On this Day of Encouragement to Abstain from Intoxicants, which this year falls on a Sunday, and under the theme “Choose Life” (Deuteronomy 30:19–20), ABAM Social Concern calls upon churches to set the moral tone by declaring their commitment to avoid smoking in any group gathering and to teach the dangers of passive smoking; village councils to adopt resolutions enforcing Section 4 of COTPA 2003 and ensure compliance during all public events; and community leaders to raise awareness and encourage responsible behaviour among citizens. Together, let us honour our traditions of fellowship by protecting the health of every member, dealing faithfully with the issue of second hand smoke and ensuring that our gatherings comply with the law and reflect our choice for life.With the leadership of the ABAM Social Concern Ministry from its early rallies in 2017 to its decisive call in 2023, and the growing number of villages already committed, a smoke-free Ao society is not only possible; it is our duty. ABAM prays that this commitment will inspire healthier practices and that God, in His mercy, will grant good times for the community to gather again in smoke-free fellowship.
