The instant ban on smokeless form of tobacco from May 31 is set to create a huge challenge for the Department of Health and Family Welfare: how to provide de-addiction and cessation support to lakhs of addicts who are abruptly cut off from access to these products.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010, 28.2 percent of Karnataka’s population aged above 15 years are addicted to tobacco. Of this, 19.2 percent of adults are into smokeless forms like gutka, snuff and paan masala.
Immediate nicotine withdrawal symptoms may include restlessness, irritability and lack of concentration for a few weeks, while the craving is likely to continue for a few months, said Dr Prathima Murthy, Professor of Psychiatry - Centre for Deaddiction Medicine, NIMHANS. “Milder addicts may give up easily but severe addicts will require guidance and cessation support that can only be provided in counselling centres,” she said.
She warned that without proper guidance, they may shift to other forms of tobacco. “The government must advertise the presence of cessation facilities and get the right kind of help. Just like the ban was imposed in the interest of public health, guiding addicts on how to handle deaddiction is the responsibility of the government too,” she said.
“Aggressive campaigning must be carried out on the physiological and mental symptoms that addicts are likely to experience when they stop chewing tobacco and about the deaddiction facilities available to them,” she added.
Health Minister UT Khader stated that counselling facilities will soon be made available in taluk level hospitals, primary health centres and sub centres. At present, there are deaddiction centres at NIMHANS, Victoria Hospital and St John’s Medical College and Hospital in the city. Apart from these, there are also centres run by NGOs.
“The department will soon submit a compliance report regarding the implementation of the ban in the state over the next four weeks,” Khader said.