High tobacco use in city worries docs

Mumbai: One in three adults in Mumbai consumes tobacco on a regular basis. What's more, one in ten is likely to die a premature death if the current pattern continues. 

    Latest statistics presented by Tata Memorial Hospital say that of the 20.5 million-strong population of Mumbai and its neighbouring areas (including Thane and Navi Mumbai), an estimated six million people use tobacco—in form of cigarettes or gutka. If immediate action is not taken to control the use, then about two million people are likely to die prematurely—in productive 

age-group—in the near future. 

    The scary picture has prompted about 7,400 doctors in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai to support an anti-tobacco campaign under the umbrella of the Association of Medical Consultants. Activists say consultants can persuade a patient to give up the tobacco habit at an early stage and prevent its culmination in cancer. Tobacco causes 20% of all deaths 

Mumbai: The Association of Medical Consultants on Sunday pledged to fight tobacco consumption. "Doctors need to play an active role in tobacco control. As medical practitioners, we also need to prevent the reason for the disease. We have asked all the members to counsel patients against tobacco consumption," said Dr Kishore Adyanthaya, president of the AMC. "When a patient comes to a doctor for something as normal as fever or cold, he can be counselled against the use of tobacco. When unwell, the patient is vulnerable and thus would understand the importance of dropping the habit much better than if advised elsewhere," said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, surgical oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital. So a patient will now read about the hazards of tobacco consumption on posters in the waiting area outside a consulting doctor's room, followed by "opportunistic counselling" inside. According to experts, tobacco is the leading cause of 90% of the ailments affecting the mouth, 60% of heart diseases, 50% of cancers and 20% of all deaths. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), which was done in India in 2009-2010, 31.4% of Maharashtra's population uses tobacco in one form or the other. What is scary is the fact that the addiction builds up in individuals who start consuming tobacco before the age of 15 years.