8 minutes agoAuthor: Shivakant Shukla
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Diwali The festival of is celebrated with great pomp in the country. From children to elders, everyone eagerly waits for this festival throughout the year. But keep in mind that this Diwali you should bring happiness to your home, not diseases.
Although Diwali is a festival of lights, but in the last few years it has become less a festival of lights and more of firecrackers. Nowadays, Diwali celebration is considered incomplete without firecrackers. Firecrackers illuminate the entire sky for a few moments, but they badly affect our environment and health.
One disadvantage of burning firecrackers is that they increase the amount of dust and polluting elements in the air. After burning firecrackers, dangerous chemicals like sulphur, zinc, copper and sodium spread in the air and enter our lungs through breath. These chemicals cause serious harm to the environment as well as health.
Talking about accidents caused by firecrackers, according to the fire department, in the year 2023, there were more than 200 fire incidents in Delhi alone, while many people were seriously injured.
so today ‘Health Form’ We will talk about how the chemicals used in firecrackers affect our health. You will also learn that-
- How do firecrackers affect the environment?
- How to keep small children safe from firecrackers?
- What should asthma patients do to avoid the harm of firecrackers?
Expert- Dr. S. Jade. Jafri, Pulmonologist and Allergist (Indore)
Firecrackers contain dangerous chemicals
First of all, see in the graphic below which dangerous chemicals are used in making firecrackers.
How do crackers affect our health?
Burning of firecrackers increases the risk of respiratory diseases. It can also cause many infectious diseases. The condition of an already ill person may worsen. The poisonous smoke of firecrackers can suddenly cause a new disease.
Know from the graphic given below which chemical used in firecrackers causes which disease-
Danger of pollution and diseases caused by firecrackers
The chemicals used in firecrackers that we read above are not for human consumption. The human body is not made to inhale them. It is not necessary to be a rocket scientist to understand that if for any reason these chemicals enter our body through air and breath, then the amount of toxins in the body will increase and these toxins will cause diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) report says that every year around 7 million people across the world die due to air pollution. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2018, the worst impact of firecrackers is on air quality and it affects our lungs and health.
See the graphic given below to see which diseases’ risk increases due to the dangerous chemicals in firecrackers.
Smoke from firecrackers is dangerous for asthma patients
Firecrackers have the greatest effect on asthma patients. Asthma is a chronic disease, which causes difficulty in breathing. It can happen to people of any age. However, its risk is higher in the elderly.
According to WHO, approximately 33 crore 90 lakh people across the world are suffering from asthma. In 2016, there were 417,918 deaths due to asthma worldwide. According to the Global Asthma Report, 2022, there are about 3.5 crore asthma patients in India. Air pollution is very dangerous for asthma patients. Therefore, it is very important for them to avoid firecrackers and smoke.
See the graphic below to see what precautions someone should take during Diwali if he is an asthma patient.
Firecrackers are also a threat to the health of small children
Since the body of small children is in a developing stage, the smoke of firecrackers and the pollution caused by it have a worse effect on their body than that of adults. The cells of their lungs, brain and body are still being formed. If there is excessive exposure of the child to polluted air, chemicals and smoke at this stage, then their development can also be affected. Sometimes it can also cause serious diseases or development defects.
Besides, the health of the mother who is breastfeeding her child is also very vulnerable at this time. If environmental toxins enter the mother’s body and she becomes ill, it can affect the child as well. Therefore, small children and infants especially need to be kept away from firecrackers.
Take these measures to protect children from firecracker pollution
To protect children from the ill effects of firecrackers, some things should be taken special care. See the pointers below-
- Keep children away from firecrackers. Do not let them release smokey and loud crackers.
- Keep children away from places where firecrackers are being burnt. As far as possible, do not take them out in the open.
- Do not let them go out of the house because there is a lot of pollution outside.
- Keep checking the air quality of your city. If it exceeds the prescribed PM2.5 standard, then keep an air purifier in the house.
- To increase the immunity of the child, feed him an orange or lemon every day. They contain Vitamin C, which boosts immunity.
- Children are naturally attracted to firecrackers. Therefore, warn them about the dangers of firecrackers through stories and poems while playing. Make them sensitive towards the environment.
- To divert their attention, do fun activities with them, play games, tell stories.
- During this period, take special care of their nutrition. Feed them fruits, vegetables and keep them away from junk food.
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Also read this news related to Sehatnama
Sehatnama- Eat sweets on Diwali but be careful: Half of diabetic people are unaware of their disease.
During the country’s biggest festival, Diwali, there is often such an atmosphere in all the houses that people are unable to stop themselves from eating sweets. Dr. Deepak Gupta says that if you want to eat sweets during Diwali, then first of all you have to understand the mathematics of blood sugar. It is important to know what causes our blood sugar to spike. Read the full news…
