'Nearly 1 million people die in India every year due to smoking'

In the recent years smoking, both active and passive, has emerged as a serious health threat for people. It is an uphill task for a smoker to ‘kick the butt’. Dr Debashish Basu, a consultant in metabolic diseases and preventive cardiology at Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Science, Kolkata, has spent a lifetime studying the ill-effects of nicotine on the system. Kiran Dahitule spoke to Basu about how to quit smoking.

How many deaths are reported in India due to smoking each year?
Studies show that smoking accounts for approximately 20% of all male deaths and 5% of female deaths among Indians between the ages of 30-69. Nearly two-third of men and women who smoke can expect to die between the ages of 30 and 69, compared with around 40% of non-smoking men and women who are similar in other ways. There needs to be an immediate control on this unhealthy habit as it kills nearly 1 million people every year in India.

What are the effects of passive smoking?
Passive smoking means inhalation of smoke from tobacco products smoked by others, also called as second-hand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

The risks linked with passive smoking are cancer and heart diseases. Second-hand smoking causes lower respiratory infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia. Children who spend time with those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes per day are likely to get asthma or develop psychological disorders like major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD).

What is the quit smoking plan that you have developed?
Smoking is an addiction that requires determination and effort to overcome. It is important to have a plan in place since the entire quitting process is a journey and cannot be achieved in one go. To break free of a habit it is first important to understand the pattern.

Ask questions to yourself like, ‘When did I smoke the first cigarette of the day?’ or ‘Is smoking a social or solitary activity?’ These answers will help the smoker to be more conscious of the craving, enabling him/her to refrain from mindlessly reaching out for a cigarette.

Secondly, prepare yourself to kick the habit. Day one of the plan should begin prior to the actual quit day. Take this time to identify and then start avoiding smoking triggers; these can range from alcohol, coffee to hanging out with certain friends who smoke incessantly.
Thirdly, talk to your doctor about anti-smoking treatments like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products like nicotine patches and gum. NRT helps to substitute cigarettes with therapeutic nicotine to kill the craving and double the chances of quitting. Use these products as a part of your overall quitting plan. A 12-week course along with correct usage is advised to avoid chances of relapse.

Lastly, reward yourself for achieving your goals. Go out for dinner after staying smoke-free for a week or treat yourself to a massage after one month, and so on.

Also, create a new routine for yourself. If earlier you used to smoke a cigarette after meals, instead take a 20-minute walk and listen to good music of your choice.

What steps can be taken that will lead to reduction of tobacco products in our country?
Studies show that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes in developed countries results in a 3-5% reduction in overall cigarette consumption. The government should also cut down on the import of cigarettes. Promoting anti-smoking treatments like NRT by subsidising the prices of nicotine patches and gums, and simultaneously creating awareness on its use as an anti-smoking therapy, can help in reducing smoking in our country.