Pact To Provide Tobacco Cessation Support Infrastructure And
Double Chances Of Quitting Smoking
Pact To Provide Tobacco Cessation Support Infrastructure And
Double Chances Of Quitting Smoking
Mumbai, May 31, 2011: On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) announced its partnership with Nicorette, the global leader in tobacco cessation products, to double a smoker’s chance of quitting. This partnership lends support to TII’s vision of battling tobacco addiction and thus promoting a healthier India sans oral health problems by the year 2020.TII centers across India enable dentists to timely diagnose and treat smoking/tobacco related oral health problems while supporting patients to quit smoking/tobacco chewing through counseling and pharmacological means.
IDA has successfully launched 115 TII centres across 16 states in India over the last one year and plans to increase this number to 5,000 by 2013. These centres are run by professional dentists who are trained by the IDA in counselling and tobacco intervention. Many patients coming to these centres are not fully aware of the consequences of smoking/chewing tobacco and the adverse changes taking place in their mouth. The dentists play an integral role in educating, treating and supporting these patients through their quit attempt, thus promoting better oral and overall health.
There are an estimated 120 million smokers in India with one-third of all adults (35%) using tobacco in one form or the other. This widespread use of tobacco has resulted in India having the highest incidence of Oral Cancer in the world.It is estimated that in the year 2015, 1, 43,963 Indians would have been diagnosed with oral and pharyngeal cancers and 91,029 would have died of the disease.TII in partnership with Nicorette strives to change this by spreading awareness on the perils of tobacco addiction while simultaneously supporting the smoker/tobacco chewer to combat his addiction.
Dr Ashok Dhoble, Hon. Secretary General IDA, speaking on the partnership, said “TII centres are the first of their kind in India, with dentists promoting higher standards of oral health by enabling smokers/tobacco chewers to overcome their addiction. This partnership with Nicorette will enable us to build on our expertise and Pan-India presence and help many more smokers across India live a healthier life.”
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)is a WHO recommended therapy that has successfully been practised worldwide to save millions of lives. Nicorette chewing gum, based on this principle of NRT, was launched in India, in December last year by Johnson &Johnson in packs of 4 mg(needs a doctor’s prescription) for highly addicted smokers and 2 mg(does not need a doctor’s prescription).
According to Gautam Suri, General Marketing Manager, Consumer Division, Johnson & Johnson Ltd, “The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey of India(2009-10), states that 46% of smokers intend to quit smoking; Nicorette will play a critical role by helping these consumers in their journey to quit. The use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy and support from a healthcare professional can double a smoker’s chances of success. Nicorette is not just a gum but a total infrastructure that helps consumers take control of their nicotine cravings and finally kick the habit of smoking.”
About TII:
The Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) is a profession-led "call to action" project to eradicate tobacco addiction, strive for a `tobacco free India' and thus improve the oral health of Indians by the year 2020. TII aims to establish a broad alliance of key influencers and policy makers from research, education, clinical practice, public health, government and industry, partnering in a common goal to effect fundamental changes in health systems and individual behaviour. The Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) is a step towards taking dentistry as a profession, service to the community, to a new level. It is an ambitious step, aimed at improving community health. TII strives for a “Tobacco Free India” by helping patients quit smoking and consumption of smokeless or chewing tobacco, through certified clinics engaged in tobacco intervention.
About Nicorette:
Nicorette is a stop-smoking quit aid in the form of a sugar-free nicotine gum. It helps to reduce nicotine cravings that make quitting smoking so hard. It allows smokers to take control of their nicotine craving and doubles their chances of quitting. Nicorette, based on the principal of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), is nicotine bound to a sugarless chewing gum base.It provides therapeutic (clean) nicotine slowly and in lesser quantities than what a cigarette provides but also just enough to satisfy the cravings. Unlike tobacco smoke, it delivers nicotine which is devoid of any harmful chemicals like tar, irritants and carbon monoxide, and hence is safer than smoking a cigarette. It is the number one smoking cessation brand worldwide and is available in over 80 countries globally.
For further information, please contact:
The PRactice
Astha Tandan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 982011311