Quit Tobacco – Motivation via Message

This could prove the most effective and efficient way to quit tobacco as all it takes is a mobile phone to get registered with MCessation for the person to receive messages that will motivate him/her quit tobacco use. Jaipur Government will soon be launching the "Mobile (m) Cessation" programme, a mobile phone-based intervention to help users quit the tobacco addiction. It is a Central programme that will be launched nationally.

India is home to the world's second largest number of tobacco users with around 275 million addicts. Forty percent of all cancers- 90 percent of oral cancers and 30 percent of TB cases are due to tobacco use. The addiction also takes a toll on nearly 10 lakh human lives every year. The Government of India had last year set a target of reducing tobacco use by 20 percent by 2020 and 30 percent by 2025.

According to WHO, tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. Narendra Singh, state consultant of National Tobacco Control Programme, WHO India Tobacco Free Initiative/MoHFW, Rajasthan said, "It will help a great deal. Tobacco users can enroll themselves by giving a missed call to take the benefit of the new programme for tobacco cessation.”

Once the person gets enrolled with MCessation, he/she will start getting motivational messages to quit tobacco. "The person will also get a call in which he will be asked certain questions like for how long he has been consuming tobacco, how much he takes daily and questions about his health," Singh said.

On Saturday, State's Health Department Director Dr BR Meena sent letters to all the district collectors to spread awareness about the new project. "Most of the people know that tobacco is not good for health. But because they are addicted they fail to quit the habit," Dr Meena wrote in the letter. Repeated reminders and encouragement can help people fight off this menace.

Almost half of the male population and one-third of the total adult population are consuming tobacco products.