Author: Dr. Pawan Gupta

Dr. Pawan Gupta is a trusted Senior Surgical Oncologist, social activist, and author, engaged in creating awareness and changing the way cancer is perceived in society. He is a renowned transformational speaker on cancer chronic diseases and lifestyle specifically tobacco. Thousands have benefitted from his workshops, seminars, camps, and training programs. He has been featured in Buzz Creator and on many channels on TV. He is the Founder of ICanCaRe, an Innovative enterprise for Cancer Care and Rehabilitation. Working extensively in Tobacco Cessation data-driven protocol-based intervention through a network of Specialists and experts on ICanCaRe APP, Virtual Clinics, and ICanCaRe National Quitline. National Convenor for Tobacco Cessation courses for the first time in India introduced under Gujarat University His populist campaigns “WIN OVER CANCER”, “SAVE the Youth – Win over tobacco”, “Chota Daana”, “Catch them Early”, and “My Hygiene My Responsibility” has gained him wide accolades. In his mission to win over cancer, he has a unique methodological approach to quitting tobacco. The book WIN OVER TOBACCO – MADE EASY is a step-by-step guide for tobacco addicts to overcome their cravings. The Book had more than 10000 Downloads within 30 Days of being made available. He received the prestigious ICD International Award in 2007, Vivekananda Sister Margarette Award 2017 and Delhi NGO leadership Award 2017, AIECS award 2018, Asia Africa Leadership in Social Innovation 2019, MICC Innovation Award 2019, Rashtriya Prabasi Odia Paribar Award 2019. Professionally he has conducted more than 11000 cancer surgeries and was a pioneer in establishing and modernizing surgical oncology in some of the major hospitals in Delhi NCR. He did his graduation and post-graduation from SCB Medical College, Cuttack. He enhanced his surgical skills M.Ch and Fellowship in Surgical Oncology from Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad. He has held several positions during his career in various hospitals. Dr. Pawan has published 30 papers in National and International journals and is actively involved in several research projects. He is an active member of the Telemedicine Society of India, India Association of Surgical Oncology, Association of Surgeons of India, and Foundation for Head and Neck Oncology. He is seen as a mentor of strayed souls, and a soothing balm to those tormented by cancer.

ICanCaRe – Brasscity Sahodaya Complex Moradabad

Fostering Collaboration to SAVE the youth – Tobacco MARSHAL  26th November 2022

CBSE and ICSE School Principals and Coordinators meeting

A motivational meet to promote the SAVE the youth campaign in CBSE schools was organized with the Principals and Coordinators of the CBSE and ICSE School of Moradabad Brasscity Sahodaya Complex at Police Modern School, Moradabad.

Mrs. G Kumar patron of Sahodaya Complex inaugurated the seminar and emphasized the need of educating the children and parents about being aware of tobacco and drugs.

The seminar was arranged by Dr. Shashi Sharma, Principal of Gandhi Nagar Public School, and Mrs. Jyoti Singh, Principal of Modern Police School, Moradabad.

The team from ICanCaRe led by Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch., Director MAX Super-specialty Hospital, Delhi, and represented by Dr. Manisha Pandey, Dr. Neeta Kumar, and Mrs. Sonal Bhatia leaders and promoters of Tobacco MARSHAL conducted the seminar.

Promoting SAVE the YOUTH Dr. Pawan Gupta emphasized that,  every teacher of the school should be empowered with knowledge about tobacco and its nuisances. A Sustained effort around the year would be more effective than intermittent programs to make an impression on the minds of young people. This is possible by training teachers as tobacco Marshals.

Dr. Manisha Pandey said, “Young impressionable minds when motivated would have a self-effect and also change the society because when they leave the campus they would take the learning with them.”

The vision of Dr. Pawan Gupta to have the much-needed empowered tobacco MARSHAL in every school was very much welcomed by all the attending Principals and Coordinators present in the seminar to make the future of students secure and respectable.

61 participated in the seminar.

Mrs. Sonal Bhatia, the leader of Tobacco MARSHAL, feels that women are the worst sufferers due to tobacco use in society. She successfully made 1000 women tobacco MARSHALs in 5 months, of which 550 girls from villages were trained as MINI Tobacco MARSHALs.

The most important focus of the session was how to handle a person who is taking tobacco- the conversation that needs to follow with the person engages and guides them towards making him tobacco-free.

Emphasis was also on protecting self and family, especially daughters so that they do not end up with a tobacco user who torment them for their entire life.

Tobacco MARSHALS – they have a major role as influencers and are essential for tobacco control

  • SAVE youth initiation (BE SMART DO NOT START)
  • Encourage cessation (WIN OVER TOBACCO IS EASY)
  • Increase negative attitudes toward tobacco use (BE CAREFUL AND FEARFUL)
  • Chota Dhana – Identify early lesions of the Oral Cavity
  • Induct more people to support the cause (CAPACITY BUILDING)
  • Increase support for policy change (CREATE TOBACCO-FREE ZONES)

Tobacco MARSHAL is the need in every school against the most dreaded disease in the WORLD.

With the presence of TOBACCO MARSHAL on the campus, it is going to be a major ripple effect at campus and outside the campus.

Dr. Neeta Kumar, Senior Scientist ICMR did some much-needed relaxation exercises and practical intervention. Suggested some surveys that can be done.

The program was a collaborative program by ICanCaRe with I CAN WIN FOUNDATION and Fluoride Fellowship Inc (USA) supported by MAX Patparganj.

#icancare #icancareacademy #tobaccomarshal #pawangupta #sonalbhatia #brasscity #sahodaya #manishapandey #neetakumar #CBSE #moradabad

Be Careful and Fearful – Corporate engagement to SAVE the youth, Creating TOBACCO MARSHALs

TALK – SAVE THE YOUTH SENSITIZATION TALK – CORPORATE

ONGC – Vasant Kunj Corporate Office

Topic: BE CAREFUL AND FEARFUL – Corporate engagement to SAVE the youth, Creating TOBACCO MARSHALs

Schedule: 21st October 2022 Time: 11:00 – 11:40 pm onwards

ICanCaRe Experts for the CAMP –

Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch, Director – Cancer Surgeon – MAX – Patparganj, Vaishali

As a part of the ONGC Cancer Awareness Health Mela organized by Corporate Medical Services, a talk  “BE CAREFUL And FEARFUL” was given by Dr. Pawan Gupta at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation – Vasant Kunj Premises on 21st October 2022.

Dr. Pawan Gupta presented the importance of the SAVE the youth campaign in any organization and having TOBACCO MARSHALs on the premises.

The highlights of his talk included:

  • Tobacco is a disease and needs to be treated as a disease
  • Studies have shown tobacco users in any Institute comprise about 30-40%
  • The majority of the Medical bill by any PSU is because of the chronic ill health of these tobacco users.
  • Establishing tobacco users need centered activities will see a decrease in the medical bill over a period of time. Any investment in this will bring a major change for the corporate.
  • A tobacco user Smoker is a man-hour loss to the company, which if calculated goes in crores.
  • ICanCaRe can partner with the PSU to provide a Sensitization, Assistance, Training, and Enforcement plan for making an Institute Tobacco User Friendly and save crores of rupees for the Institute.
  • The book – How to Make an Institution Tobacco Free authored by Pawan Gupta is a comprehensive guide for the same.
  • He made them aware that quitting tobacco is possible and that one can quit tobacco with proper intervention by a Tobacco Cessation Specialist.
  • Tobacco Chewers are on the rise in PSUs as smoking is not allowed on the premises. People switch to chew.
  • He also highlighted self-examination, by 4 finger test and Chota Daana examination of the oral cavity on regular basis, especially for high-risk who take tobacco in any form.
  • TRISCaRe the innovative mouth opener device was also demonstrated, which is a need for chewers for the unique disease Submucous fibrosis.

Mr. Kashmir Singh Randhawa, Group General Manager, HR who presented the token of appreciation to Dr. Pawan Gupta appreciated the concept of TOBACCO MARSHALs in all the units of ONGC and also for establishing ICanCaRe tobacco users clinic in the units.

Dr. Pranita Das, Head, Corporate Medical Services, more than agrees that the majority of medical bills are spent on tobacco users and more needs to be done to control this menace.

The medical team Dr. Vimal Kumar and Dr. Madhu all agreed and accepted the suggestions to do more on this line. 

ICanCaRe with its expertise in Tobacco Control would be very happy to collaborate with ONGC for making it Tobacco Free.

Present during the talk were 77 ONGC management

Dr. Madhu, a practicing Physician said that cancer will become an epidemic if we don’t take care of it now. It is important that the public should raise their voice and treating doctors’ skills themselves to be able to prescribe to quit tobacco.

The program was nicely conducted and Participants showed interest to become tobacco MARSHAL to have a sustained effect in society against tobacco and drugs.

#MAX #SaveTheYouth #tobaccomarshal #icancare #pawangupta #ongc

5 Phases of Tobacco Use

Tobacco is fun, it’s cool. This is what a new tobacco user may say, thanks to the advertisement and glamour attached. Ask a person who has used it for some years and he will spill the truth.

These are the phases of tobacco use that start with experimentation and end with a painful death. 

EXPERIMENT phase – this always starts with peer pressure, generally by advertisement, or a senior or a friend pushing the person to have one. Two things can happen – instant hate, or causal acceptance. Most people hate it from day one and would never ever take it, it tastes horrible and feels pathetic. But some misguided or those who are going through a low phase would like to experiment more, the dopamine surge gives instant pleasure, and that’s the beginning. Now the companies are luring the youth by introducing fancy articles like e-cigarettes and sheesha, hookahs, etc. These are being marketed as a fashion symbol for the youths, which is the beginning of the end.

NEED – BRAIN CRAVING – The experiment which was a fun and instant pleasure, mediated by dopamine surge is now regularly needed by the brain. In this phase, there is a craving and a demand for the brain, and the person uses it to seek pleasure instantly. The person is still in control and can stop. Most would stop, some would become occasional users, and others would progress. Most who stop are aware of the future and they have better means of seeking pleasure, they are health-seeking individuals have support from home. They have to be counseled at the right time, if they go beyond this phase it is going to be difficult.

ADDICTION – WITHDRAWAL, DISEASE – Now the brain is getting adopted, the brain cannot work without the dose of nicotine. The person who was in control now is in control of nicotine. When he/she stops, he/she has withdrawal symptoms. His/her behavior is changed, he/she is no more normal, and he has become a slave of tobacco. Signs of diseases caused by tobacco are visible, but he/she overlooks them. His/her life is in turmoil, loss of respect in society. He/she would need intensive intervention to quit tobacco.

DISEASED and SUFFERING – Now the person is symptomatic, visibly with the diseases due to tobacco like – cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, or cancer and others. He is repenting the day he started tobacco, but the brain is not ready to leave him. The severe withdrawals make him take tobacco again and again. The journey ahead is treacherously laden with fear and pain. He is seeking help to quit tobacco. They are no more in denial but have accepted the fact that tobacco is harming them. They are easy to quit because now the brain is sending them signals that if you continue further, you will have trouble. With proper support, they quit. The quit has its beneficial effect, but the damage that is done will only progress!

The incurable disease will take its toll with suffering and pain!

DEATH – That’s what they start seeking because of the pain they are going through.  Death is inevitable. The journey ENDS. With the hope of a new beginning in the next life!

 

Tobacco is a disease; the best is never to start. Tobacco industries are now enticing the new generation with newer forms, packaging, and flavors. One has to be smart and do not start. For those who have started it is important they quit the earliest. Quitting needs hand-holding by a certified tobacco cessation specialist. Look for someone around you or call 011-43077695 or download the app- ICanCaRe at http://app.icancare.in

Every day 5500 youths are trapped and they start tobacco and every day 3700 are dying a painful death. We have to change this scenario. Every unit must have a TOBACCO MARSHAL. Join as a Tobacco MARSHAL to SAVE the youth! http://icancare.in/academy/marshal

 

(The Author – Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch. is Director of Surgical Oncology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali. Patparganj and Noida. He is the author of the book – Win Over Tobacco Made Easy, Be Smart Do Not Start and is highly recognized for his work on Oral Cancer and Tobacco Cessation. He is the convenor for the Certified Course in Tobacco Cessation under Gujarat University. He launched the #SAVEtheyouth campaign and Tobacco MARSHALs in the community)

The article has been critically reviewed by Mrs. Sonal Bhatia, Master Lakshay Srijay Gupta, and Shubh Bhatia