According to experts Smoking is the most common form of tobacco abuse all over the world. However in our country, smokeless tobacco use is more common. Smokeless tobacco products eg: paan, gutka etc consist of tobacco or a tobacco blend that's chewed, sucked on or sniffed, rather than smoked. Chewing tobacco is made of tobacco, nicotine, sweeteners and chemicals.
Cigarettes contain more than 4,800 chemicals - 69 of these are known to cause cancer. Apart from all the hazards that can be caused by smoked tobacco, tobacco chewing can cause bad breath, cracking and bleeding lips and gums, receding gums, which can eventually make your teeth fall out, many pre-cancerous conditions of the oral cavity and throat and cancer in many organs.
You not only harm yourselves by smoking but can also be injurious to the many innocent bystanders including your spouse and children.
Second hand smoke (smoke which is exhaled from a smoker) contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemical compounds. The smoke from a smoldering cigarette often contains higher concentrations of the toxins found in cigarette smoke than exhaled smoke does.
In order to creatc awareness World No Tobacco Day is observed across the world on 31st May 2017. On this occasion, Omega Hospitals in association with Radio Mirchi has organised a Cancer Awareness Program on Tuesday 30th May 2017 at Inorbit Mall, Madhapur, Hitec City. Mr. Nikhil Reddy, Cine Hero and Movie Star will participate in the program along with Dr Palanki Satya Dattatreya, Sr Medical Oncologist, Omega Hospitals, Hyderabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Palanki Satya Dattatreya, Sr Medical Oncologist, Omega Hospitals, Hyderabad has explained that World No Tobacco Day, an annual event on May 31 focuses global attention on the health hazards of tobacco use.
The goals of World No Tobacco Day are to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use, encourage people not to use tobacco, motivate users to quit and encourage countries to implement comprehensive tobacco control programs, he added.
According to Dr Palanki Satya Dattatreya, Sr Medical Oncologist, Omega Hospitals, Hyderabad Oral cancers (mouth) constitute a major health problem in our country.
These cancers account for one in four of all cancers. Annually 130000 succumb to this cancer i.e 14 per hour. If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from a serious tobacco related health hazard and warrants a visit to a physician - a sore, an ulcer or a lump in the mouth that does not heal, a prolonged sore throat, difficulty in chewing or swallowing, restricted movement of the tongue or jaws, persistent cough or breathlessness, he urged the people.
Further speaking on the occasion Mr. Nikhil Reddy, Cine Hero and Movie Star has told that tobacco consumption in various forms like cigarette smoking, oral intake such as gutka, zarda pan, pan masala, khaini is the most important causative agent. He explained that Tobacco contains several carcinogens(chemicals) which lead to induce genetic changes leading to initiation and progression of the cancer and appealed to public to strictly abstain from tobacco related products that can prevents cancer.
He also said that the only way to avoid the health hazards of tobacco is to quit completely or to never start. According to him quitting tobacco has immediate and long-term benefits, reducing risks for diseases caused by smoking and improving health in general.
Currently, there are many medications to help people quit. Since quitting tobacco often requires multiple attempts, the most important part is self motivation and the determination to quit, he suggested.
According to experts, by quitting tobacco today, you can assure a healthier tomorrow for you and the society is the advise given by experts and issues a warning that Tobacco offers us a life of slavery, a host of chronic, debilitating illnesses and ultimately death.
