Want to quit smoking? Head to a clinic

You probably picked up your first cigarette in school “just for kicks”. Or was it in college? That’s when most youngsters get “initiated” into this habit. Curiosity, peer pressure and somehow it appears as the best way to be “cool”.

Fast forward to the present, that stick between your fingers is burning, you take a long puff — alone or in a group and either think about the stress in your life or make small talk. But, every time you resolve to break this habit. It seems an uphill task.

While smoking among men has been accepted over centuries, there is still a stigma associated to women smoking. Yet there is a visible rise among women smokers. Unlike rural areas, urban centres enjoy the availability of services that can help them rid the habit.

“Studies suggest that 2% people are able to quit by themselves, however, there chances of quitting increase if they seek medical intervention replete with counselling as well as medication, depending on an individual,” said Dr Pratima Murthy, professor of psychiatry and chief, Centre for Addiction Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans).

Nimhans runs a cessation clinic where people can walk in to get help. Between 2003 and 2007, across 19 cessation centres across the country about 30,000 to 35,000 people sought help. And while the numbers seeking help have been steady, Dr Murthy points out that it is still not enough.

“Studies also point out that if smokers seek short-term intervention (8 to 12 weeks), their chances of quitting successfully are 20-25%. With long-term intervention (1 year), their chances of quitting are 10-15%,” she added. But she is quick to point that people are still reluctant to “just walk in into these clinics.”

And unless you are ‘self-motivated’ to quit, it is often difficult to quit. Stigma is the primary cause because no one wants to be tagged “addicted” and although men walk in to the clinics, the number of women smokers seeking help is dismally low.

The good news is that over the last two to three years, all medical professionals — doctors in hospitals, dentists and primary health centres — are been trained to provide tobacco counselling.

This means that even if you were to visit your GP (general practitioner) for a mild fever, he can check with you about your smoking habit and provide appropriate counselling.

Weighing the pros and cons of quitting is often a tough task. But, doctors help out, they mention that quitting helps — you can get rid of bad breath caused due to smoking, have lesser oral problems, the ‘yellowing’ between your fingers goes away, to name a few.

The long term benefits are tremendous since tobacco consumption is attributed to most cardiovascular, lung diseases and cancers, quitting certainly protects you from these health scares.

In fact, a group of concerned medical practitioners, people working on tobacco related issues along with BBMP have come together to form ‘Tobacco Free Bengaluru.’ Though this group emphasis on rural areas, it is conduction a full-day event today to create awareness about harmful effects of tobacco.

The general attitude among smokers changes when they are advised to visit a hospital. Therefore, now there is a focus on trained all medical professionals so that a smoker can reach out and seek guidance. But, for those seriously considering quitting, the good news is — “if you seek help your chances drastically go up.”

Now, if you have made up your mind to butt-it-out, you can call in Nimhans any time throughout the week at 26995311.

Those interested can also walk-in on their OPD (out patient department) on Mondays-Thursdays and Saturdays.