Globally, 10 people die every minute from tobacco and two out of 10 are from India only. DR SK ARORA tells you how it is important to kick the habit
India celebrated its 74th Independence Day on August 15, 2020 as a mark of freedom from the British rule. Now it’s the right time that we should aim for freedom from a product — tobacco — to which globally very large number of people have become slaves and it is not only killing humans but also the animals and the environment.
Smoking and chewing tobacco/pan masala is nothing but a form of slavery. In odd circumstances for the survival to save self or children, people work like slaves to make tobacco products especially the bidis. The products made by the so called slaves end up making the users slaves too. People get addicted to them up to a stage where they fail to stop using tobacco even when they are highly motivated to do so. The possible hurdles anticipated by users are the unpleasantness of withdrawal, fear of weight gain, the potential futility of trying and eventual relapses and lack of information about tobacco cessation centres.
Tobacco by damaging multiple organs not only reduces local defenses of lungs but reduces general immunity making people more prone to Corona infection. Use of tobacco by fingers, sharing bidi/cigarette/hookah and spitting spread Corona and other infections from one person to another very easily. Even the pan masala which doesn’t contain tobacco or nicotine does contain supari (Areca nut) which is now proved to be carcinogenic & genotoxic and affects oral cavity, kidney, liver and reproductive organs. Not only these but e-cigarette too damages lungs, heart, adolescent brain and developing fetus apart from its carcinogenic potential. Globally, 10 people die every minute from tobaccos and two out of 10 are from India only. Second hand smoking is adding the morbidity and mortality further. About 30 per cent adults in India are exposed to second hand smoking in indoor work places and 22 per cent teenagers (13-15 yrs age) are exposed to second hand smoking at home.
Tobacco addiction is probably the most common and problematic form of addiction worldwide.
Tobacco users (both smokers & smokeless tobacco) lose control over their motivation and fail to control their desire to use tobacco . Even today 26.7 crore people use tobacco in India. Even though the Government is trying to provide best possible services but no infrastructure of the Government or NGO can tackle this huge load alone. Hence, community participation is required to assist people in quitting these habits. Tobacco users can visit nearest health centre, de-addiction centre, tobacco cessation Centre. They can join Government M- Cessation Programme by giving a miss call from their mobile at 011 - 22901701 or National toll free Quitline number 1800-11-2356 to get assistance to quit these habits. One may adopt one tobacco/pan masala user from their surroundings and help him/her to quit by visiting the link http://chn.ge/2lUhRua.
It is never too late. Take a firm decision today itself and start your efforts to stop these habits. Remember you will start getting positive effects on multiple organs from day one even if you have been using these products for years together.
We as a society need to provide them a helping hand so that they win over these habits and become free from the slavery of tobacco, pan masala and e-cigarettes. Freedom from tobacco will not only make one community or country but whole planet a safe and healthy place to live.
The writer is Additional Director Health, Government of Delhi
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It is important to keep few dos and don’ts in mind while you are helping a smoker quit
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