Sir: No one can deny the fact that smoking is harmful, but people do it without caring about its negative effects. Tobacco contains more than 400 toxic substances and chemical compounds that have caused the deaths of millions of people in the world. The one who smokes may not only suffer from health problems like respiratory infections and coughs but can also become the victim of diseases like cancer, lung cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases. Annually, 5.4 million people die because of tobacco in the world. About 100,000 people from Pakistan die of smoking annually. Shockingly, no major steps have been taken to stop it. The government should look into the problem and take necessary measures for its eradication. MEHRJAN NASEER Turbat