Acetaldehyde, acetone, cadmium, chromium, carbon-monoxide, ammonia, lead, nicotine… and the list seems to be endless.
No, we are not in the middle of chemistry class studying the structure of these chemical substances.
These toxic components, besides other 4,000 harmful ingredients, form part of a cigarette. Apparently, a significant proportion of which have been carcinogenic.
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On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, specialists make it clear that it is not a bad idea to say ‘no’ to smoking at any given point of time.
And resisting the temptation to smoke is not a single day initiative but a constant endeavour.
“Tobacco use in any form will considerably bring down the cancer survival rate. The risk of cancer recurrence gets doubled when patients resume the habit post their treatment,” explains V. Murali Krishna, surgical oncologist and managing director of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and Research Institute.
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Continuous counselling, emotional support, and use of nicotine substitutes such as chewing gum play a vital role in reducing the craving for smoking.
“Although 50 per cent of the patients quit smoking when they have been diagnosed of cancer, there is also an equal rise among those who resume smoking within a few months of recovery. Those who want to bid adieu to tobacco, their firm resolve to put an end to the habit helps them in the long run,” says Aditya Narayan, chief of radiation oncology, Lions Cancer Hospital.
Decreased access to any form of tobacco has its own advantages.
“For smokers, the most pressing challenge is to break away from their old network and make friends with non-smokers. If we are surrounded by those who help us nurture a positive frame of mind, life becomes more meaningful,” adds S. Abbaiah, retired chief cardiologist of King George Hospital.