Nearly all of us have either been offered or tempted to try out smoking. It may be through our friends in school, college, or a workplace colleague. Our minds work in mysterious ways. Sometimes people give in to the inquisitiveness and their curiosity and take a puff. Others abstain from it for their reasons. It starts slowly, like a child curious about a shiny object. One drag becomes two. Some give up after the first cough, and some keep on smoking. Soon, smoking becomes a habit, getting harder to quit.
Tobacco addiction in men has been a severe issue, but sadly, not many people pay the necessary heed to tobacco de-addiction. It is shocking to see the lack of awareness in people. According to a report, 94% of smokers had no intention of quitting tobacco. India has around 27 crore tobacco users. More than 1.2 million people in India die every year due to tobacco use. The number includes smoking-attributable and smokeless tobacco attributable deaths. This means tobacco-related deaths take the lives of around 3500 people each day. This is something to be concerned about.
The use of tobacco in India has risen quite a lot despite the government taking strict measures and placing several checks and barriers. One reason for this is the lack of awareness among the people regarding the health effects of the substance. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is a stimulant. When taken in small doses, this can make you feel more energetic, active and alert. However, nicotine can cause changes in the body and the brain's chemical composition in the longer run, developing an addiction. Thus, making tobacco addiction treatment necessary.
Tobacco is cultivated for commercial purposes extensively across India. India is the world's second-largest producer of tobacco, after China. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Bihar cultivate all the different types of smoking required for manufacturing the products. There are several types of tobacco products available in India –
All these tobacco products contain nicotine, a stimulant and are harmful if consumed daily. Prolonged use will lead to tobacco addiction treatment, and it is one of the more severe problems that need to be addressed.
Tobacco consumption has many complications. The effect of tobacco on the lungs for men can cause respiratory problems and other difficulties. Tobacco smoke, including second-hand smoke, has over 7000 chemicals, out of which 69 are cancer-causing. Anyone who smokes and uses tobacco is at the risk of developing an addiction. Few people who smoke or use tobacco products are at greater risk of getting addicted than others. Tobacco de-addiction centre point out several factors that influence tobacco use:
Let us bust the myth for once and for all; all tobacco products are harmful. Even the ones that claim they are made from herbal products or vapes are harmful. Tobacco addiction treatment is necessary; some of the effects of tobacco are –
Second hand or third-hand smoke is also very harmful to people. Children whose parents are smokers also can develop diseases like ear infections, asthma, bronchitis, and colds. Thus, resorting to the best tobacco addiction treatment centre is the only option for helping people addicted to it.
As much as the government wants to curtail tobacco products, the truth is, a massive chunk of revenue is collected from the taxes of these products. Despite having cigarettes charged at a rate of 28% and an additional cess of up to 21%, and chewing tobacco charged with around an additional cess of 160%, the number of tobacco users is yet to decline. To tackle tobacco addiction in men and women, the government of India had launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007-08 with the following aim –
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty signed by 181 countries focusing on tobacco control's global public health issue. It aims to serve as a tobacco cessation program to tackle the tobacco epidemic, cross border trade, tobacco advertising and illicit trade of tobacco products.
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, also known as the COTPA Act, aims to reduce the distribution and supply of tobacco products in India.
The NTCP has implemented its policies and enabled changes at the national, state and district levels. This programme in the country has covered all the 36 states and union territories, covering 612 districts. Although different states have achieved different success levels, the non-prioritization of tobacco use has been one of the significant barriers to prevention nationwide.
There are several methods of treatment available for tobacco addiction. However, these treatments can be challenging to manage. A person undergoing tobacco addiction treatment can have nicotine cravings, and smoking causes them to relapse. There are several methods of treatment for those battling tobacco addictions –
Some doctors at tobacco de-addiction centres prescribe medication to help with the addiction to tobacco and other products. While undergoing a tobacco cessation program, certain medicines for high blood pressure or antidepressants are used to manage the patient's cravings. Certain medicines decrease the desire to smoke in patients.
Addiction counselling enables a person with tobacco addiction to talk to a counsellor, therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist about their addiction. It allows them to establish a rapport, understand the harmful effects of nicotine, and gradually reduce and stop tobacco consumption. Addiction Counselling can be done in outpatient treatment centres and rehabilitation or in-patient treatment centres.
Tobacco Addiction comes under Substance Use Disorder. To help a person out of this addiction, several psychological and behavioural therapies can be used to treat drug addiction. These are –
Several places provide treatments for tobacco de-addiction in Delhi. And then there is SimranShri Rehabilitation Centre, providing effective treatment and helping your loved ones manage and live their lives after they undergo de-addiction treatment. We, at SimranShri, help your close ones to overcome their addiction through our scientific methods that enable natural healing. Our team of experienced doctors, counsellors, therapists all work hand in hand to give your loved ones the best care in their journey to recovery. With over 30 years of proven techniques and experience in treating addiction, our Nasha Mukti Kendra has enabled hundreds of people to live substance-free lives. At our rehabilitation centre, we offer services like –
These services ensure that your loved ones learn the correct methods to control their addiction and live a happy, healthy and long life. Help us to help your loved ones today. Call or text us to know more about tobacco addiction treatment and get help for yourself or your loved ones. Let us come together and break the stigma surrounding men's addiction problems. Remember to hate the sin and not the sinner. Together, we can defeat addiction and live a substance-free life.
