Nicorette’s Quit Infrastructure Helping Tobacco Users in Hyderabad Overcome Their Addiction
Nicorette’s Quit Infrastructure Helping Tobacco Users in Hyderabad Overcome Their Addiction
Hyderabad, January 23: Nicorette® (tobacco cessation chewing gum) organized a conference to highlight the need and effectiveness of a solid tobacco cessation infrastructure to help tobacco users overcome their addiction. The conference highlighted the fact that according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS Survey, 2010), there are 275 million tobacco users in India. As per the survey, 29% of the total population of Andhra Pradesh consumes tobacco in some form or the other.
To help reduce the frequent incidence of tobacco related diseases and to partner with every tobacco user during his quit journey, Nicorette launched a national tobacco cessation toll- free quitline- 1800227787 on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2012. Till date, the quitline has received 40,000 calls from all across the country. Of which, 211 callers from Andhra Pradesh have called the quitline. From Hyderabad, there were 179 callers. Of which, there were 199 males, 12 females. Most callers were from the age group of 21-30 years. All tobacco users have benefitted from the quitline as they have successfully reduced their addiction.
Noted tobacco cessation expert, Dr. Praveen Kumar hosted the conference and said, “Quitting tobacco is a journey and not a one-time event. Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to replace cigarettes or chewing tobacco while quitting has proven to be more effective than trying to cut down by using willpower alone. NRT is a World Health Organization (WHO) recommended therapy that is practiced worldwide”.
The toll-free quitline operates daily from 9am to 9pm. It is accessible to all kinds of tobacco users as well as friends and family members or healthcare professionals seeking guidance. Calls are answered by trained tobacco cessation counselors who give counseling in English and regional languages such as Telugu. A report by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITCP) estimates that by the year 2020, 1.5 million Indian deaths will take place due to tobacco usage. In light of this scenario, Nicorette has launched a robust quit infrastructure and support mechanism to partner with tobacco users throughout their quit journey.
About Nicorette®:
Nicorette® is a tobacco cessation aid in the form of a sugar-free nicotine gum. It helps to reduce nicotine cravings that make quitting tobacco so hard. It allows tobacco users 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 an ion exchange resin. It provides therapeutic (clean) nicotine slowly and in lesser quantities than what a cigarette or chewing tobacco provides but also just enough to satisfy the cravings. Unlike chewing tobacco and cigarette smoke, it delivers nicotine which is devoid of any harmful chemicals like tar, irritants, carbon monoxide and nitrosamines, and hence is safer. It is the number one tobacco cessation brand worldwide and is available in over 80 countries globally.
About Nicorette®’s Tobacco Cessation Infrastructure:
Nicorette® launched India’s first tobacco cessation Facebook application in August, 2011. Their Facebook page has close to 442,000 active members and can be accessed on http://www.facebook.com/NicoretteIndia and their website nicorettequitsupport.com offers tips and suggestions. Their text-to-quit service is also India’s first such offering. It can be used to receive a quit plan or answer any tobacco cessation related query by sending an SMS Quitplan to 80822 11333.
The national quitline is a dedicated toll-free telephone line that can be reached at 1800 227787. It is operational daily from 9am-9pm. Counselors trained in tobacco cessation will answer queries in English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Bengali and several other regional languages.