Wider access to nicotine replacement therapy crucial to curb smoking: Doctors

More widespread access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy a crucial tool in the fight against smoking for over 25 years may help in tobacco cessation in India said doctors on ThursdayTobacco addiction remains a global menace responsible for one death every six seconds worldwide and over a million deaths in India alone constituting 95 per cent of all fatalitiesNicotine Replacement Therapy NRT offers a 50 per cent higher probability of quitting smoking compared to attempting to quit without it and it is both safe and readily available without the need for a prescriptionDr Chandrakant S Pandav former Head of Department Community Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi emphasised on the pressing need for improved access to tobacco cessation methods in IndiaAlso Read Are vapes really a safer alternative to cigarettesldquoTobacco use affects 286 per cent of adults in the country with a particularly significant impact on 42 per cent of men and 142 per cent women Challenges continue to exist in difficult geographic locations and rural areas highlighting the importance of making NRT accessible over the counterrdquo said the Padma Shri recipient at an event held at the national CapitalDr Pandav said that he believes ldquoeasier access to NRT without prescriptions empowers individuals to quit smokingrdquoNicotine the primary addictive component in cigarettes delivers rapid pleasurable effects through smoking NRT on the other hand serves as a temporary replacement for a small quantity of nicotine controlling cravings alleviating withdrawal symptoms and facilitating the transition to tobacco abstinenceUnlike cigarettes NRT provides a gradual and very small increase in blood nicotine levels which discourages misuseThe aim of NRT is to enable people to quit smoking with the help of nicotine delivery systems with reduced addictivenessldquoTobacco dependence is a mindbody addiction We need to address both the physiology and psychology of addiction in proper perspective to be effective To ensure the success of our smoking cessation endeavours we should concentrate on enhanced access to NRTrdquo said Dr Sajeela Maini Head Tobacco Cessation Deaddiction Mental Health Expert Sir Ganga Ram Hospital New DelhiDr Maini called for a multipronged approach to arrest the most globally widespread menace of tobacco addictionsldquoTobacco cessation is still in its infancy in India We need to educate the public proactively about scientificallybacked options like NRT to assist them in quitting smoking and thus prevent them from developing tobaccosis spectrum of diseases caused by smoking and chewing of tobacco she saidDr Pandav also pointed to research conducted in 2023 such as the one in Odisha which demonstrated the efficacy of NRT in halting smokeless tobacco useAnother recent study in Bengaluru also highlighted the effectiveness of combining NRT with behavioural counselling in reducing cigarette smokingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever