TOBACCO CESSATION TECHNIQUES

Tobacco use is one of the major preventable causes of death and disability worldwide. Globally it kills nearly 6 million people of which nearly 0.6 million premature deaths can be attributed to exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS). If current trends continue by 2030 tobacco use will kill more than 8 million people worldwide each year.As per the WHO Global Report on “Tobacco Attributable Mortality” 2012 7% of all deaths (for ages 30 and over) in India are attributable to tobacco. Within communicable diseases the deaths attributed to tobacco use accounted for 5% of all deaths caused by lower respiratory infections and 4% of tuberculosis deaths. Within non communicable diseases group 9% of deaths are attributable to tobacco use and 58% being due to cancers of the trachea bronchus and lung. In addition to it 25% of deaths are caused by respiratory diseases and 28% by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Preventing the use of tobacco in various forms as well as treating nicotine addiction is the major concerns of dentists and physicians. Today we the members of the health profession along with policy makers should help in achievement of a smoke-free society.