Tobacco Intervention Initiative

OVERVIEW-Tobacco Intervention Initiative

The Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) is a professionally-led "call to action" programme to eradicate tobacco addiction while striving for a `tobacco free India' and thus improving the oral health

DESCRIPTION

Tobacco use and smoking in particular, causes many of the chronic and debilitating diseases, diseases include heart disease, stroke, multiple cancers and respiratory diseases, as well as complications of pregnancy such as preterm delivery and low infant birth weight.

Our programmes and actions will aim to improve the health status through communication, prevention

Dental expertise:

Tobacco causes significant changes in a person’s mouth and counselling is the first step on the road to quitting. Counselling reveals the deleterious effects of continued tobacco useand intervention.

Implication of tobacco:

Heart and Blood Vessels: Tobacco use causes narrowing of the blood vessels due to atherosclerosis resulting in increased risk of coronary heart diseases.

Cancer: Pre-cancerous lesions and conditions such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, leukoerythroplakia are caused due to tobacco use.

Respiratory diseases: Various obstructive disorders like Congestive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), acute respiratory infections and decline in lung function are due to tobacco usage

Reproductive Effects: In males, tobacco can cause erectile dysfunction thus diminished sexual ability. While in females, it may lead to sudden infant death, delayed conception,

Oral Health Effects: Other effects of tobacco usage on oral health are chronic periodontitis, early tooth loss, gingival recession, root surface caries, halitosis or bad breath and diminished saliva flow.

Benefits:

Our bodies react to the process of quitting tobacco almost instantaneously.
20 minutes after quitting: Heart rate and blood pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Blood circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease becomes half that of a smoker.
5 years after quitting: Five to 15 years after quitting, the risk of a stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker
10 years after quitting: Death rate due to lung cancer is about half that of a smoker. Risk of other cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, cervix and the pancreas also decrease.
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non- smoker.

FAQ:

Can I Quit? It’s too hard to quit. Can I do it?

Quitting tobacco is hard but not impossible. And the benefits of quitting far out-weigh the difficulties. Remember, help is at hand if only you make the first move.

Why is it so hard to quit?

It’s hard to tackle the physical addiction to nicotine. Cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance found naturally in tobacco. It travels quickly to the brain when it is inhaled and can cause a feeling of temporary relaxation and/or stress relief. Nicotine can also elevate your mood and your heart rate

Can a doctor, dentist or pharmacist help a person quit smoking?

Doctors, dentists and pharmacists can be good sources of information about the health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting. They can describe the proper use and potential side effects of nicotine replacement therapy and other medicines.

What about over-the-counter nicotine replacement products?

These products may help you if you feel like you can’t quit on your own or you have serious withdrawal symptoms.