No tobacco strength of life

No tobacco strength of life
* Avoiding tobacco adds 20 years to the life of a teenager.
* In India, 900,000 people die due to tobacco related diseases per year.


* In India The tobacco contributes to 56.4% and 44.9% of cancers in men and women, respectively.
* India has the largest number of oral cancer cases in the world which is due to tobacco.
* Tobacco smoking accounts for 82% of Chronic obstructive lung disease in India.
* Tobacco indirectly causes lung tuberculosis. Prevalence of TB is about 3 times as great among the ever-smokers as among the never-smokers. The heavier the smoking, either cigarettes or bidis, the greater the prevalence of TB among smokers. Mortality from TB is 3 to 4 times as great in ever-smokers as in never-smokers.
* About half of the teenagers who use tobacco will eventually be killed by it (about a quarter in middle age and a quarter in old age).
* It is estimated that India as compared to any other country will have the fastest rise in tobacco related deaths each year.


Effects of tobacco consumption

# Smoking / tobacco consumption is a cause of impotence in men.
# Smoking / tobacco consumption decreases estrogen levels in women. Menopause occurs earlier.
# Smoking / tobacco consumption decreases ability of physical activity and decreases physical endurance.
# Women who smoke and take birth control pills are at a greatly increased risk of a stroke.


Tips to help you quit smoking tobacco

# Hide ashtrays, cigarettes, paan, jarda. Out of sight, out of mind. A simple, yet helpful endeavour.
# Don't let cigarettes, paan and jarda be easily available. Keep cigarettes/ jarda, paans in a place where you have to make a real effort to get them for example, another room of the house, places where you don't go to very often, locked in a cupboard etc. Every time you have to smoke/eat jarda/paan, you should have to make a conscious effort, get up, walk and get it.
# Figure out your "triggers" to smoke, or consume paan/jarda and ways to cope with them. Is it the company of people who smoke/eat jarda/paan? Try in the initial period to be away from smokers/paan eaters/ jarda eaters or rather when they smoke or eat pan/jarda. Do you consume tobacco when you are tense, or when you are working late, to pep you up and to give that extra energy? For that try to put something in the mouth, like chewing gums, sweets, peppermints, lozenges etc. and practice deep breathing.
# Whenever you have that craving, try deep breathing when either standing or sitting. Having a glass of water and exercising also helps to decrease the craving.
# When you feel like taking tobacco, think of your children and the effect on their future if you develop any of the dangerous diseases caused by tobacco.
# Set a stop date.
# Find a support person.
# Make plans for your first day without cigarettes/ paan/jarda.
# Use the 4 Ds when the craving for smoking/tobacco hits you.