Tobacco use, which is declining in Western countries, continues to be widespread in developing countries like India. In India, tobacco is used in many forms such as bidi, chutta, cigarette, pan, zarda, gutkha, khaini, mawa, smoking tobacco, and dry snuff.
There are several reasons for the rise in tobacco use. These include lack of awareness about the harms of tobacco, ignorance even when the risks are known, lack of social responsibility among people who smoke in public places, lack of strict legal action, and shortage of de-addiction centers for those who want to quit. The number of tobacco users is increasing not only among men but also among women and adolescents.
Apart from staining the teeth, gums, and tongue, reducing appetite, and causing high blood pressure, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular diseases, tobacco is also a cause of many cancers. It has been scientifically proven to cause cancers of the bladder, kidney, cervix, colon, esophagus, mouth, throat, lung, liver, pancreas, stomach, and blood. Studies also suggest that it may be responsible for breast cancer and ovarian cancer as well. Tobacco contains a total of 72 carcinogens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitrosamines, aromatic nitrosamines, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, aldehydes, and ethylene oxide. Tobacco increases the risk of cancer by 10 times, and alcohol by 25 times. In people who use both tobacco and alcohol, this risk rises to 40 times.
The strongest weapon to overcome tobacco use, which often begins as curiosity and becomes an addiction, is determination. There is no medicine stronger than willpower when it comes to quitting tobacco. However, to manage withdrawal symptoms such as intense craving, anger, irritability, depression, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and restlessness, the body may need a nicotine substitute such as Nicotex. Nicotex is easily available not only at pharmacies but also through online sources like Amazon, and it can be used at a dose of 2–4 mg per day for up to three months.
In general, one should avoid situations associated with smoking, think ahead to handle temptations, seek support from friends and family, and quit with confidence. The longer a person stays away from smoking, the lower the risk of cancer becomes. In people who have stopped smoking for at least 25 years, the risk of cancer becomes negligible. Therefore, let us all, as responsible citizens of society, take a pledge from today to reject tobacco.