Dr. Rubeena Anjum, Dr. Heena Sadiq
When No Tobacco day is around we read a lot of stuff related to what tobacco in the form of cigarettes, bidi, cigars, khaini, hookah, pipe, pan, pan masala etc leads to human beings. Tobacco may not kill tomorrow but every tobacco addict knows that it will kill them eventually.
Here are few simple tips to quit tobacco:
* Set a date by which you think you can quit the habit. It should not be too early so that you don’t have enough time or it should not be too late so that you become lazy
* Do the calculation as to how much money you spend on the purchase of tobacco and how much you can save
* Focus on the benefits of quitting tobacco on health and personnel life
* Take support from family and friends. If you had company to start the habit you can definitely find support to quit the habit
* Make a tobacco free environment in your car, house and office
* Try to avoid trigger moments like your tobacco addict friends, college and office smoking zones
* Do not envy those who take tobacco because in reality tobacco addicts envy those who don’t take tobacco in any form and lead a normal healthy life
* Empty hand challenge: when you quit tobacco, the habit of taking your hand to your mouth persist thus keep water bottle, chewing gums or mouth fresheners near you so that every time your hand goes to your mouth either you drink water or put something in your mouth
* Start new relationship with habits like jogging, swimming, dancing, singing etc make new friends, talk more and try new things in life
* Do not get influenced by the actors and sports person advertising tobacco. Read books, articles and blogs on people who have quit the habit, it will definitely inspire you.
* Reward yourself every week from the money you save
* Start today does not give excuses. Nobody has forced you take this poison in the form of poisonous sticks and packets, it was you who started the habit and it is you who can quit nobody else can do it for you
* Do not give up it is not impossible to quit the habit, trust yourself and start, even if you fail in your first attempt start again and repeat the drill.
Few MYTHS related to quitting tobacco
* It is impossible to quit the habit
* Nicotine chewing gums and patches work wonders and are the only effective tools. These are basically an adjunct to your will power to quit the habit
* There are too many withdrawal symptoms which are difficult to deal with. There are many Government run rehabilitation centres which help you in fighting these symptoms. Psychiatry hospital here in Jammu also runs one such rehabilitation centre
Make it a point to decide what you want.There is always a chance to start fresh and make Jammu tobacco free.It is only you who can decide to stop dying and start breathing.
Written & executed by: Dr. Rubeena Anjum (Prof. & Head), Dr. Heena Sadiq, Department of Oral pathology and microbiology.Indra Gandhi government dental college. Jammu. Email id:heenasadiqpg@gmail.com.
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