The fight against tobacco addiction is a critical public health endeavour, with a profound impact on the lives of millions and in India , despite concerted efforts, the prevalence of smoking remains alarmingly high, posing significant risks to individuals’ health and placing a burden on the healthcare system. Public health experts believe it is imperative to explore and adopt innovative approaches that have demonstrated success in other countries but the conventional approaches to quitting tobacco in India need reinforcement, and it is time to consider alternative strategies that have shown promising results in other parts of the world. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Narender Saini, Former General Secretary at the Indian Medical Association, shared, “Tobacco cessation is the process of quitting tobacco use.
. It is well-established that smoking is a leading cause of preventable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory illnesses. Conventional methods of smoking cessation, such as counselling, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) and pharmacological treatments, play a vital role in helping individuals quit smoking.
However, the high relapse rates and the deeply ingrained smoking culture in India highlight the need for additional strategies.” Learning from global success stories Countries like Sweden, the USA, the UK and Japan, have adopted novel approaches to tobacco cessation with remarkable success. Dr Narender Saini shared, “These c.
