Quit Tobacco

In India alone, tobacco kills about 1 million people each year. In fact, India is the second largest consumer of tobacco and this consumption is on the rise. It is one of the leading causes of cancer amongst men - predominantly lung cancer and oral cancer. It is implicated in about 30% of all cancer related deaths. Long term use of tobacco also increases the likelihood of suffering from heart disease, respiratory diseases and reproductive problems. Not only it is detrimental to the health of the user, passive smoke is a potential health hazard for friends and family.

Tobacco addictionis a disease that is propagated by the social environment. Children are the most impressionable and it's unfortunate that most individuals have their tryst with tobacco during their school years. Pressure from peers to fit in is perhaps the leading cause for people to experiment with tobacco in the first place. Media portrayals of film stars smoking and the stereotypical image of what it means to be 'cool' also contribute to the incidence of cigarette smoking. At the same time, society is abound with myths about tobacco being a stress buster and that's what people grow up believing.

The problem of tobacco use faced by India is more complex than that of most other countries. This is because the trends and nature of tobacco consumption is diverse, varying across regions and socio-economic strata. Tobacco in India is consumed not just in the form of cigarettes but as bidi and guthka as well. Being a cheaper substitute to cigarette, almost 50% of tobacco consumption in India is in the form of bidis. If cigarettes were bad news, bidis are much worse - they have poorer filteration, contain higher cancer causing agents, and have high levels of tar, cynide and carbon monoxide, amongst other harmful toxins. That, together with the lack of awareness about the hazards of tobacco amongst weaker sections of society, makes the problem of tobacco that much more grave.

Tobacco addiction is an illness, like any other physical or psychological illness. It is not a sign of a weak character and it may not be something an individual can simply snap out of. But the first step to recovery is acceptance. Acknowledge that you have a problem with tobacco rather than trivializing it or making excuses for your addiction. Tobacco leaves behind withdrawal symptoms and quitting cold turkey might not always work. Instead, decide on a quit date and gradually reduce your consumption in a systematic manner as you approach that date. Don't try to rush it, be patient with yourself and set realistic targets. Your body will undergo a lot of stress in the process of de-addiction and so a regular and healthy diet along with lots of fluids would be very important at this time. Also try to maintain a regular daily routine, which includes adequate rest and physical activity. The aim is to keep yourself distracted so as to avoid the craving for tobacco.

Quitting tobacco can be a difficult process, one that becomes a lot easier if there is a strong social support system in place. It's important, therefore, for friends and family to be supportive, rather than pass judgments, be negative, criticize or say 'I told you so'.

The threat of tobacco consumption looms large over us. It's not just that the usage of tobacco is increasing, but rather that an increasing number of children are taking to it. Yet, tobacco addiction is entirely preventable. We as responsible adults can either fight the spread of this disease or let it destroy our lives and those of our children. What we all need to realize is that every time we pick up a tobacco cigarette, it makes it all the more certain that the child watching will also do the same.