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Now, Quit Line to help tobacco users kick the habit

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Days after taking a U-turn on banning loose cigarettes, Amal Pushp, the director of National Tobacco Control Programme, ministry of health and family welfare, on Monday, explained the central government's seriousness in controlling tobacco in the country. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3rd National Conference on Tobacco or Health programme at Tata Hospital.

Pushp said though the decision was on hold, work on putting in place a successful tobacco control initiative like the polio eradication programme, was in progress. He added that in a month's time, the ministry would launch the first helpline, 'Quit Line', to help tobacco users quit the habit.

"The proposal to have 'Quit Line' and introduce tobacco cessation centres across India has been passed. The helpline should become functional in a month's time where counselling will done on a personal basis. We will have trained counsellors," said Pushp.

The helpline will be head-quartered in Delhi and would initially offer counselling in English and Hindi.

At the conference on Monday, organised by Salaam Bombay Foundation in collaboration with WHO, ministry of health and family welfare, Action Council against Tobacco, Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health and Tata Memorial Hospital, the first ever report on the global use and public health impact of smokeless tobacco was released. The report was released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA and National Cancer Institute, USA.

According to the report, majority of smokeless tobacco users (89%) are in Southeast Asia, which also has the highest oral cancer rate in the world. Users in India and Bangladesh make up 80% of the total smokeless tobacco users in the world.

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