LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT TOBACCO HAZARDS

LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT

TOBACCO HAZARDS

 More than the cigarette-smoking, it is the other form of tobacco consumption including chewing tobacco, paan masala and Bidi smoking, which is making people prone to multiple diseases. Moreover, the myth that suggested that women do not consume tobacco and remain alien to its harmful effects needs to be broken, as Bidi smoking has started to take large toll on women from rural belts in east UP region. The problem is aggravated in persons, who not only suffer from chronic obstructuive pulmonary disease (COPD), but also cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes and oral problems. The long and continuous addiction even makes them prone to fatal lung and oral cancer, said Dr JK Samaria, senior consultant, Department of Chest and Respiratory Diseases, Banaras Hindu University while talking to TOI on Thursday.

Saying that between 40 to 50 per cent of asthma and COPD cases referred to the department have a past history of active or passive exposure to tobacco in one form or the another, the senior chest consultant from BHU emphasized that Bidi is turning out to be the more dangerous form of tobacco-addiction that makes women especially in the rural areas prone to health hazards. In fact, the number of women becoming addicted to Bidi in east UP region is surpassing the figure of female smokers in New York City, which is a reason of concern. The Bidi needs continuous lighting and even though the amount of tobacco used is less in comparision to cigarettes, the puff with high smoke is more detrimental to the health.It may be mentioned here that as per WHO report in 2011, predominance of tobacco use and its negative health effects which is responsible for the death of 5.4 million people worldwide annually at present.

According to Prof. TP Chaturvedi, Dean and Head, Faculty of Dental Sciences, BHU, India not only ranks number one in oral cancer cases, where tobacco is the main culprit, but research studies have also suggested that around 80 to 85% of oral cancer is caused due to use of tobacoo in one form or the other. Saying that around 80,000 new cases of oral cancer are detected in the country every year with the figure touching one lakh, he added that now the trends where ioral cancer used to be detected in persons aged 40 years or above has also changed. Younger people, less than 35 years of age are getting affected due to habits like paan masala, supari and gutkha, he added.Meanwhile, the faculty organized an awareness programme with distribution of pamphlets and oral cancer detection examination. The health experts also vouched for collective efforts from the family and doctors in proper rehabilitation of tobacco-addicted patients. A three-prolonged strategy including counselling, psychotherapy and medication with the support of family members and doctors is required to help one quit the harmful practice, added Dr Samaria on the occasion.

Prof. John Kurakar