Tag: Tobacco

Why Should a Sister Wish her Brother be Tobacco Free

If you have a brother who smokes/chews/vapes tobacco, you might be worried about his health and well-being. Any form of tobacco is harmful. Tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease in the world. It can damage the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and other organs. It can also increase the risk of cancer, stroke, heart attack, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). HARMS OF TOBACCO EARLY and LATER are going to show in life!

As a sister, you love your brother and want him to live a long and healthy life. You might also want to protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke or tobacco use, which can cause asthma, bronchitis, ear infections, tuberculosis, and other respiratory problems in children and adults.

That’s why you should wish your brother to be tobacco-free. By quitting tobacco, he can improve his health and quality of life. He can also reduce the chances of developing serious illnesses and complications in the future. He can also save money, smell better, and have more energy.

But quitting tobacco is not easy. It takes a lot of courage, determination, and support. As a sister, you can play an important role in helping your brother quit. You can encourage him to seek professional help, such as counseling, medication, or nicotine replacement therapy. You can download the ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness APP for him and seek help from ICanCaRe Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialists. Call 011-43077695.  You can also offer him emotional support, such as listening to his struggles, praising his efforts, and celebrating his achievements. You can also help him cope with stress, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms by suggesting healthy alternatives, such as exercise, hobbies, or relaxation techniques.

By wishing your brother to be tobacco-free, you are showing him that you care about him and his health. You are also helping him make a positive change that will benefit him and everyone around him. You are being a good sister and a good friend.

A word of assurance will go a long way! Let’s wish all our brothers are tobacco-free! This is the biggest gift on the RAKSHABANDHAN!

Most users, when given the assurance and hand held by a certified tobacco cessation specialist and with ABCD Quit Tobacco Intervention, are more than willing to quit!!!

An ICanCaRe Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialist follows the ABCD Of Tobacco Cessation to help in a 100% quit rate.

Book your appointment today to start a healthy tobacco/smoke-free life with the best in class tobacco/smoking cessation experts at www.icancare.in/quittobacco or call 011-430-77695 for help. Download the ICanCaRe e-cessation app for quitting smoking and tobacco at https://app.icancare.in. 

(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 books – 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 at Gujarat University, and has trained more than 1000 doctors to be tobacco cessation specialists).

Tobacco and Oral Cancer

The global burden of oral cancer has continued to rise, especially in India, mainly due to the high consumption of tobacco and betel quid. Current research has helped elucidate the relationship between tobacco use and the spread of oral cancer, but more still needs to be understood. Rigorous prevention programs and well-established supportive infrastructure are vital to reducing the number of tobacco-related oral cancer cases.

In light of World No Tobacco Day, join us for a special session, organized in association with SIPHER, on “Tobacco and Oral Cancers” with the renowned Surgical Oncologist Dr. Pawan Gupta on 10th June 2023, 5 PM IST onwards.

Session Highlights:

Tobacco Cessation in Western methodology cannot be copied for Indian patients

What is Chota Dana Campaign?

How can cessation of tobacco cure many lesions in the oral cavity?

https://www.docplexus.com/user/content/webinar/e83ee74d-7d50-487c-8fac-25a005a7815a

Dilemma of a Doctor – Advise to Quit or Not?

Dilemma of a doctor – A 44 year old tobacco chewer with advance stage of cancer – should he be asked to quit tobacco???

Author – Dr. Monalee Prasad, BDS(2007), PGD in Aesthetic Dentistry (2009),TII -IDA(2020) ,OCTC (2021), CTCS (2021).

This is a case of a 44 year-old male patient suffering from Stage IV recurrent oral cancer with extensive neck and systemic metastasis. He was being treated somewhere in Uttarakhand. He attended OPD for treatment. He has been a chronic chewer and smoker for years and he continues to do so even after being diagnosed with advanced cancer with a short life expectancy. Besides the palliative treatment, the big question is about his tobacco – Should we ask him to quit? Or should we not ask him to quit?

How should we plan his treatment with regards to tobacco cessation?

The case was put for discussion during the tutorial for Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialists were – different difficult cases that we come across in Tobacco Cessation practice and their treatment are planned. It was a mixed opinion with more suggesting  that the patient should be told to quit tobacco.

The same question was put in the group who are actively working for tobacco control and the majority said that the above patient needs to quit so that the treatment will be helpful and the organs will respond better to treatment.

Now opinion from group of oncologists was seeked, unanimously they said there is no need for him to quit tobacco.

The argument put forth by was that with Stage IV cancer there is no hope of his long survival and it will not be of much help at this juncture to force him to quit. Also the handling of withdrawal symptoms is more difficult in this case along with the Palliative care that has to be provided. It will not improve the quality of life of this already dying patient.

Hence, it wouldn’t matter whether we advise him to quit or not. It would be his wish.

Also, in case we are able to convince him to quit; there are two case scenarios which were discussed and how we can use it as a positive messaging for the next generation.

One scenario is where he is able to quit completely and then the message that can be conveyed through him that even though he suffered from taking tobacco and has reached the last stage of his life, he could quit his habit with the help of our esteemed doctors. And if he can do it, anyone at any stage can do it and the sooner one quits, the better it is for health.

Second case scenario is when he is unable to quit despite all the efforts by the doctors and himself and he continues to smoke till his last breath. The message that we can pass on in this situation is that Tobacco is a deadly disease and really addictive one. Message is clear for the youngsters and family members – never to start such a habit and quit as early as possible. BE SMART DO NOT START and if you have then please QUIT.

So, an important learning was shared via this case by Dr. Pawan as to how to choose the messaging we need to convey to the society at large and always choose the treatment keeping the patient’s overall benefit in mind.

Medical treatment is available to quit tobacco and treatment from the cessation specialists should be seeked.

Do share your thoughts on this in the comments below? What would be your choice of treatment?