Tag: Tobacco

*Best Diwali Wishes I GOT TODAY! I feel elated!*

This Diwali is extremely satisfying, as I have now a good number of patients saved from getting cancer! The #SAVEtheyouth campaign with its components #knowtobacco & #chotadaana is off-course when a person gets cancer we can still save them, but it would be associated with morbidity, and compromised quality of life.

1. From a Lady Doctor, whose husband was a smoker for the last 22 years. They were celebrating their first No Cigarette Diwali. It had been a frustrating journey for her since her marriage, cajoling, persuading, quarreling, and nagging her husband to quit cigarettes. Not that her husband had not tried, he had but failed multiple times, and lost confidence that he would ever be cigarette free. In one of the meetings, she met me, and with difficulty we got her husband enrolled in the ICanCaRe Tobacco Cessation program. In the first intervention, he reduced the intake but could not sustain it and had a relapse. But the second intervention cycle was successful with intensive sequential therapy and regular motivation. Now it is going to be 4 months and he had not smoked a single cigarette. Feels stronger than before, less stressed, more stamina, more docile, and happier!

2. Second was from Mr. Satyabhan, 42 years old, a security guard, whom I had met at Qutub Minar around 2 years back. During the conversation, I found that he was chewing tobacco. And as a routine, I told him about tobacco and related cancers. Unexpectantly, he was convinced and he came over to the unit at MAX, Vaishali. On check-up, he was found to have a small cancer lesion on the lip, Submucous fibrosis, and dental lesions. He was treated in OPD. Excision of the lesion was done and medicines started. Today, he called me to wish me a happy Diwali, more than that, he was blessing me for saving him and his family.

When people call me back for what I might have done as my routine process, is the greatest gift for me. Their wishes and blessings motivate me to continue to do good for society. My SAVE the youth campaign is saving life, family, and money. I am happy many families will light happy diyas today!

*Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch.* Cancer Surgeon.

*Director, MAX* – PATPARGANJ, VAISHALI, NOIDA

Founder – ICanCaRe – TOBACCO #SaveTheYouth

9811290152

For Quitting Tobacco – Call 011-43077695

#icancare #winovertobacco #pawangupta #QuitTobacco #quitsmokingtoday #knowtobacco

Inner Wheel District 307 Kick Starts SAVE The Youth Campaign

EMPOWERING WITH KNOWLEDGE, COLLABORATING TO ENHANCE THE REACH with this in mind Dr. Satinder Nijjar led this meeting as the Chairman, involving all the club Presidents of her district. Tobacco is bad it is general knowledge now, but knowing about it deeply increases the power to convince others. Collaborating and piggybacking on experts can enhance our reach. Empowering so that one can in turn reach out to the masses is the way forward to controlling this dreaded disease.

Mrs. Sonal Bhatia Inner Wheel AC member who achieved the feat of 1000 tobacco Marshals during her tenure as DC of district 310 in 2021-22 showcased her achievement, and the enthusiastic response of presidents to get involved in SAVE the Youth campaign and become tobacco MARSHALs themselves.

The tobacco MARSHAL of 310 have extensively worked in society and conducted numerous programs themselves in their own unique way in their local area that including rallies, painting competitions, school programs, etc.

MIME and Poster making competition was showcased on the 29th of MAY 2022, followed by the National Debate on IMPACT OF WOMEN AS TOBACCO MARSHAL had national dignitaries grace the occasion had laid the foundation and deeper understanding of how to create impacts at the grass root levels. The Training of rural girls NCC cadets as MINI – TOBACCO MARSHAL and Teachers was one such step towards this goal.  But this is just a drop in the large ocean. The tobacco mafia with its willful clever surrogate advertisement is sending cues to the young minds and every day 5500 youths in India are inducted into this net of tobacco use. To control these more people have to rise against this TAMBAKU – ASUR and women are the ones who can do it. With this in mind, Mrs. Sonal Bhatia has raised her bar and intends to create 10000 TOBACCO MARSHAL amongst her inner wheel sisters.

Chief Guest, *Dr. Surjit Kaur*, Inner Wheel Association President and National Representative, herself a doctor said that the health of women should be the priority, a healthy-women means a healthy family, healthy generations, and a healthy society. Tobacco is a national Disaster causing deaths across all ages, all communities, and all social strata. It causes harm not only to the self but to the family, spouse, colleagues, and entire community. She congratulated Mrs. Sonal and Mrs. Satinder to take up this issue at a larger level. She was also really happy to get involved with ICanCaRe as they have the readymade program to escalate the same quickly at the higher level. As the President and National Representative for the Inner Wheel Club, she extended her full support for the program and urged Sonal to introduce the same in other districts as well.

Chief Speaker, *Dr. Pawan Gupta* M.Ch. Director Cancer Surgeon MAX and Founder ICanCaRe said that women are the most affected due to tobacco use in society. Women spite not consuming tobacco exposed to tobacco she is affected at the home, workplace, or even in the community. The effect is – health, social, financial, and much more. Women are the savior of their families, and the next generation as well. If she is empowered with the knowledge she gains the decision and intervention power. It is pertinent that women should rise against this product of MASS destruction. Stronger Women Make a Stronger World.

The inner wheel will rise as the main force in to fight against tobacco. Becoming Tobacco MARSHAL is a step towards this reckoning.

Sonal said she totally believes that inner wheel sisters will be the change makers for this cause and she would look forward to making 10000 Tobacco Marshals and urged all present to partner for this.

All the 140 participants enthusiastically looked forward to becoming tobacco marshals and contributing their bit to society.

To a question whether IW members should call doctors for school programs, Dr. Pawan Gupta said that once trained tobacco MARSHALs will themselves independently conduct school sensitization programs and ICanCaRe would equip them with all the necessary materials.

District Chairman from other districts also participated actively they were DC Leena Chandwani 315, DC Renu Agarwal 311, DC Rita Jha -District 325, DC Dr. P Shri Madhavi Devi, National Editor Veena Swamy 21-22. They support Sonal Bhatia to achieve a goal of 10000 Tobacco MARSHALs and work actively in their districts.

District Secretary Mrs. Manmohan Suri, read the Vote of thanks and Dr. Satinder thanked everyone and concluded the meeting.

Master Of Ceremony, *Mrs. Shruti Agrawal*, MBA, CSO ICanCaRe was praised for her apt conduct of the program.

Doctors Recognize the Need of A Specialist To Quit Tobacco

When they started, they were unaware of the consequences. Now that they are trapped feel the heat and wish to be free. Doctors are the intellects of society. They have different positions in society. But a doctor who is a tobacco user is no more acceptable in society.

For a doctor who is a smoker or chewer the situation is:
– People look at him with disbelief
– The doctor tends to lose credibility and respect with the patients and in society
– Justification to continue to smoke or chew tobacco is not valid
– Family and children suffer because of your habit directly and indirectly.

Tobacco is no more socially acceptable behavior and least expected of a doctor.
Tobacco is the most addictive substance and when it comes to tobacco whosoever is immaterial, whether one is a doctor, one is on the knees begging, stealing, telling lies. You are a changed personality.
The journey of quitting for a doctor is difficult and unique because of the many self-created hurdles
– “I know all”
– “I can quit whenever I want”
– “I have a strong will power”
– “I take occasionally, it will not harm me”

Failures of quitting lead to frustration, justification, and accepting the consequences. This is the worst thing to happen.

It is possible to quit and stay quit, what the doctor needs are
– Recognize the fact that tobacco is a disease
– You are as much prone as anyone else – the degree does not grant you immunity from being affected
– Recognize the fact that you need help
– Please do not take help from quacks
– A specialist may be a highly recognized doctor but that is of his specialty but when it comes to tobacco intervention, he may be a quack until unless certified for the purpose in this.
– Tobacco Cessation intervention is a specialist job.

So “BE SMART DO NOT START” and for those who have started earlier, you quit the better. Do not hesitate to take the help of a 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 recognized and now diagnostic methodology, specific medicines, and counseling processes 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 the 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 successful.

ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness center is coming up at various Hospitals for helping tobacco patients in distress.

By Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch., FAIS, FSOG
Director HN, MAX Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali;
Chief Medical Advisor – ICanCaRe (www.icancare.in)
National Convenor – Certified Tobacco Cessation Courses
drpawan.oncosurgeon@gmail.com
9811290152

(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 Certified Course in Tobacco Cessation under the Gujarat University)