Indian Dental Association to launch awareness campaign against tobacco

The Indian Dental Association (IDA) along with Narayana Superspeciality Hospital announced their initiative to launch a sustained awareness campaign against tobacco and the rising trends of oral cancer caused by it. 

As a joint initiative, the IDA will organise a rally to raise awareness against diseases caused by tobacco.  The rally will start from R Ahmed Dental College and Hospital in Moulali at around 3.30 pm on May 31. 

IDA will submit a memorandum to the Government of West Bengal focusing on the ill effects of tobacco epidemic. The memorandum suggests the measures to reduce the consumption of tobacco in the state and will also appeal to the government to take active steps to implement the Anti-Tobacco laws. 

The IDA has planned a joint initiative for an awareness campaign including regular health talks, check-up camps and suggestions provided to the state government, which would help the government in implementing the anti-tobacco laws in the state.

Dr Raju Biswas, state secretary of IDA said that oral cancer has been on the rise and constitutes about 40 per cent of all forms of cancer in our country. Around 30 per cent  of them stem from the use of tobacco.

He also said that IDA organise regular health talks, check-up camps and give suggestions to the state government for the smooth implementation of the anti-tobacco laws in West Bengal. 

India is the home to one of the largest number of tobacco consumers in the world and West Bengal contributes largely to that. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2010(GATS), 36.3 per cent of the population of West Bengal uses tobacco in some form. 

States like West Bengal with many others have to strictly impose ani tobacco laws. Smokeless chewing of tobacco like gutkha, khaini, paan cause various ailments with cigarettes, bidis and alcohol increase the risk further. Almost in all cases, the patient comes for check up due to toothache and finds he is in a pre-cancerous state. 

Tobacco use is the highest preventable cause of death in the world. In India alone, the tobacco epidemic causes around 10 lac deaths every year. According to GATS 2010, 36.3 per cent of the population of West Bengal use tobacco in some form.