Doctors are the intellects of the society. People look at them for guidance in all fields most importantly the health aspect of life. Advising is his profession and he sets example by his conduct and behaviour.
Lot of people when told to quit tobacco they give examples of doctors using tobacco. It is interesting to know the journey of a doctor from the time he enters the medical schools and how he gets into the trap of tobacco.
- Some of them come with the habit of tobacco to the campus – started in school
- Some were assigned rooms with a smoker/chewer
- Some where infected by their colleagues and “well-wishers” who unfortunately suggested them that the best way to Relieve the stress, perform well in the exams, stay awake to gobble up the books.
- Most Smokers in a medical college are ‘ullu’ (owl) of the campus, the old steam engine working throughout the night, throwing the polluted smoke and spit just anywhere in the room and campus.
- Some where forced into this during ragging and it catches up with them
- Some the ‘occasional’ ones enjoyed the ‘kash’ during the parties for the instant kick along with alcohol cajoled by the ‘friends’.
- ‘The family’ pressure due to fractured relationship pushing them into the company of party goes – alcohol and tobacco
- Impressing the girls – make belief impression show casing himself as a charismatic independent person. It’s a thought of doubt that any girls would ever get impressed because of tobacco use. Girls are smarter.
- Generally, the students who adopted to using tobacco did not have any second activity like sports or any hobbies to rely on the much-needed happy hormone the dopamine surge.
- Some start to give company to their seniors during the ward or emergency duties.
There are only two reactions when a person tries tobacco for the first time
- Shit – I will never have it again
- Wow- majha aagaya (enjoyed)
The very addictive nature of nicotine catches on.
Then the strong believe put by a tobacco user to the new user that one needs to “smoke/chew” to perform. However, the fact is that to perform an addict would require a constant dose of nicotine but an non-addict performs the better or same anyway.
Another biggest problem is the social acceptability and easy availability of tobacco in the medical campus.
Well I end by saying that “one is free to choose, but one is not free from the consequences of the choice”.
So “BE SMART DO NOT START” and for those who have started earlier you quit the better. Do not hesitate to take help of Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialist. Quitting Tobacco is easy but staying quit is difficult! The specialist would give you support, medication, comorbidity management, follow up and continued motivation to prevent relapse during your journey.
Tobacco is a complex endemic disease. It is well recognised and now diagnostic methodology, specific medicines and counselling process are available to treat this disease. The book WIN OVER TOBACCO MADE EASY authored by Dr Pawan Gupta is a comprehensive guide for those willing to quit and also for doctors. It is moral responsibility of all doctors to take training to understand the intricacies of the disease and advice the patient in an evidence based method for tobacco quit to be successfully.
ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness centre is coming up at various Hospital for helping tobacco patients in distress.
(The Author – Dr Pawan Gupta M.Ch. is Director of Surgical Oncology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali. Patparganj and Noida. HE is author the book – Win Over Tobacco Made Easy, Be Smart Do Not Start and is highly recognised for his work on Oral Cancer and Tobacco Cessation. He is the Convenor for Certified Course in Tobacco Cessation under the Gujarat University)