01 June 2010
Bangalore, India
Don’t fret, help at hand here
AWARENESS DRIVE: Members of Prajapita Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya urge youngsters to give up tobacco at the entrance of City railway station
With this in mind, Health Care Global Enterprises (HCG) launched the ‘Stop smoking. Add life to years’ campaign that will offer an integrated eight–day de–addiction programme.
The programme will explore techniques like psychotherapy, relaxation, diet and yoga to manage addiction successfully.
"We discuss the hazards with smokers and provide them with psychological support. After that comes medical treatment or nicotine replacement therapy. For three to six months, they have to be kept under supervision," says medical oncologist, HCG, Shekhar Patil.
The de–addiction programme will include breathing exercises, asanas, pranayama and relaxation techniques.
According to HCG doctors, yoga breathing techniques not only help cleanse the respiratory system of toxins, but also assist in fighting the smoker’s craving for cigarettes.
Similarly, asanas help in developing inner awareness, while pranayama instils mental peace and also improves functioning of the lungs.
Usually, withdrawal symptoms for regular smokers are sweating, anxiety, constipation and severe stress because of which they need mental and physical assistance.
The programme is from June 5 to June 13, to be conducted under the guidance of Raghavendra Rao, consultant cardiologist at HCGCancer Prevention Programme. The campaign was launched by film director Nagabharana and actor Ragini Dwivedi.
FIERY FACTS
- Smoking causes 4.4 lakh deaths worldwide each year; it is estimated that a ban on tobacco would reduce incidence of cancers by 46%
- Lifetime risk: There is a one–in–two chances of dying from smoking–related disease
- Death rates due to smoking is two–three times higher than that among nonsmokers
- HCG has launched a booklet to guide those who want to quit smoking
- A recent BMRCRI survey revealed that 13% of medical students consume tobacco and 42% believe smoking more than three cigarettes a day is not harmful to health.
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