Tag: Tobacco

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)

Doctors as Tobacco Users – What Made Them Start

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.

  1. Some of them come with the habit of tobacco to the campus – started in school
  2. Some were assigned rooms with a smoker/chewer
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Some where forced into this during ragging and it catches up with them
  6. Some the ‘occasional’ ones enjoyed the ‘kash’ during the parties for the instant kick along with alcohol cajoled by the ‘friends’.
  7. ‘The family’ pressure due to fractured relationship pushing them into the company of party goes – alcohol and tobacco
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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)