Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (JP)

Mangalore, May 29: On the ocassion of 'No Tobacco Day' on Friday May 30, KMC Hospital here will organize a free consultation clinic for tobacco smokers and chewers from 9 am to 1 pm.

A press release stated that studies have revealed that smokers are at a high danger of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, gastric ulcers, numerous other diseases. In addition, tobocco intake may accelerate early menopause, cataracts and wrinkling.

A study shows that India's smoking epidemic is said to cause around one million deaths every year by  2010, the release stated.

Behavioral therapy has demonstrated cessation rates of around 20 percent for those willing to participate. Addition of drug therapy has been found to improve the results. The standard approach has been nicotine substitution using one of the five forms of nicotine replacement. NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) provides nicotine in small dosage, like chewing gums and sustains levels of nicotine in the blood. Craving for tobacco is thus reduced over weeks as nicotine levels are maintained in the blood. Over span of 2 to 3 months NRT is tapered and the patient has less chance of relapse to tobacco. Drugs work best when combined with counseling by doctors.

The clinic is aimed at providing encouragement and opportunity for people addicted to tobacco to quit it. With the availability of the treatments like NRT, combined with counseling results of tobacco cessation efforts are likely to yield better results, stated the release.