GUJARAT: In many Gujarat villages, one may not find drinking water but would surely find ‘paan-galla’ shops that sell sachets of ‘masala’. This addiction is so rampant that ‘masala’ sachets were selling in black during lockdowns.
There is one crusader who has been on a de-addiction mission for nearly 15 years. Naresh Patel, 51, a pharmacist in the government-run primary health centre (PHC) at Patan in north Gujarat, claims to have helped more than 10,000 people to overcome various addictions.
Ever since he joined the PHC, Patel wanted to do something impactful against tobacco, gutka, beedi and cigarettes. He has come across people who do not have enough money for two square meals, but spend on tobacco products. During a professional survey, he found that addiction to tobacco had ruined many lives. “These deaths heavily outnumber those caused by poverty.”
Tobacco accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year, as per World Health Organisation reports. Gujarat is the largest consumer and producer of tobacco. A variety of tobacco products is available at very low prices in the state. Over 41 per cent men and 8.7 per cent women above 15 years old are tobacco users. “Gujarat needs a large-scale de-addiction programme,” he says.
When Patel first shared his idea about a de-addiction campaign with his friends, he was discouraged. “But, my family supported the cause. I started with formal interactions on how tobacco can create severe health issues. I followed it up with a daily message to those people based on their records,” says Patel.
In 2010, he started the de-addiction campaign from Sampra village in Saraswati taluka. “With the limited extra time I have as a government employee, I try to organise programmes at mass weddings, get-togethers and meetings, and prepare several materials to showcase on public display,” he says.
Jahuji Thakor from Kanosan village in Patan is one such beneficiary. “My family, including my mother and a teenage daughter, are addicted to tobacco. Patel visited our house and informed us about de-addiction. My five-year-old second daughter was listening to his words very carefully. She told me with her limited vocabulary that I should give up gutka. Since then, I have not touched tobacco.”
Ramesh Patel (38), said, “I could quit tobacco, but I just could not stop smoking. I consume nearly 50 cigarettes a day. This cost me my married life. I met Naresh Patel and after a few months of consultation, I am now free from all kinds of addiction.” Patel also runs de-addiction programmes in schools and colleges. “I have designed a booklet on de-addiction, titled Mangyu Mot (death wish). The district development officer released the book in 2012. I have also composed a song Dhimun Zaher (Slow Poison),” he says.
Patel has prepared posters for children so that the message against addiction can be taught at a young age. His campaign is now on social media too. “I try to call and talk to at least 10 people every day. In all, I have met one lakh people, and from them, 10 per cent are de-addicted. It is not a huge number, but I am happy to have saved their lives,” he says.