According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is home to 12 per cent of the world’s smokers which is 12 crore smokers.
Dr Sajjan Rajpurohit – Consultant Medical Oncology, on World No Tobacco Day, commented, “E-cigarette – which is based solely on pure nicotine could be used to wean away smokers from cigarettes. Tobacco smoke has 74 carcinogens. It is Nicotine which is a psychotropic substance that makes us psychologically dependent on tobacco. However, Nicotine in itself is not a carcinogen though it has certain side effects. It can lead to hypertension and other cardiac problem and even dementia in the long term. If not abused, short term harms of purely nicotine-based e-cigarettes are not much but it can help wean away smokers from cigarettes with carcinogenic potential. 45% of all cancers in males are tobacco-related cancers in India.
There has been some awareness against tobacco abuse but most people start taking tobacco early when they are still teenagers or entering college. Lung cancer, which is directly related to smoking tobacco, is amongst the most common cancers. Unfortunately, more than 60-70 % of lung cancer cases are detected at an advanced stage since the tumour gets lots of space to grow. Regular screening is a must. RGCI has a screening program for lung cancer patients.”
Smoking and tobacco abuse can harm every body system and lead to health problems such as heart disease, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), and many types of cancer — including lung, throat, stomach, and bladder cancer. People who smoke also have an increased risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Besides these deadly diseases, there any several other consequences which people are not aware of. For instance, blindness, type 2 diabetes, erectile dysfunction, ectopic pregnancy, gum diseases are a few other effects of smoking.
Dr Sajjan is Best Lung and Oral Cancer Specialist Doctor In Delhi NCR In Blk Hospital, Karol Bagh.
Also Read:
Lung Cancer, Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer Changing the Outlook for Patients
