Tobacco causes impotence: Dr K K Aggarwal

New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) Tobacco consumption in any form or disguise is harmful to the body but especially so in form of cigars, cigarettes, pipes or bidis, according to Heart Care Foundation of India and Federation of NCR Doctors President K K Aggarwal.

Mild, light, low tar, full flavour, fruit flavoured, chocolate flavoured, natural, additive-free, organic cigarettes, PREPS (Potentially Reduced-Exposure Products), and harm-reduce were all equally deadly, he said.

As it caused addiction, tobacco should be considered 'drug' and be included in the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, he added.

Dr Aggarwal said tobacco contained nicotine, a product that was addictive, and hence tobacco consumption was, practically, associated with every possible lifestyle illnesses, including heart attack, paralysis and cancer.

There had been a shift in the number one cancer in the country from cancer of oral cavity to the cancer of lung in the urban areas.

And the cause was increasing active and passive smoking, he said.

Dr Aggarwal revealed that internationally the fact that smoking was linked to impotence' had now been accepted as a standard campaign.

He also said the most important public message regarding tobacco was associated with erectile dysfunction in men. A person could live with heart disease or paralysis but not with erectile dysfunction.

The campaign all over the world was to highlight and publicise this statement in the community.

Globally, 20 per cent of the deaths were related directly or indirectly to smoking. Over 50 per cent of smokers died prematurely by tobacco use. Over 50 per cent of deaths in women younger than 65 were related to tobacco consumption. 33 per cent of cancer deaths were also linked to smoking.

One single puff of cigarette was related to 20 mmHg rise in blood pressure.

Dr Aggarwal, however, said the good news was that addiction could be cured and within 24 hours of quitting the chances of heart attack were reduced by 50 per cent and within two years the risk became equal to that of a non-smoker.

Giving some facts about smoking, he said 45 per cent of men and seven per cent of women were smokers in Delhi.

India signed up to WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on September 10, 2003. FCTC prohibited advertising the promotion of tobacco products and sponsorship by tobacco companies of sporting and other events. It envisaged the introduction of price and tax measures to reduce tobacco demand, it introduced measures to provide non-smokers with protection from tobacco smoke. It regulated the contents of tobacco products and prohibited the sale of tobacco products to children below 18-year-old, he added.

Even though penalty for smoking in public places was Rs 100, the situation with chewing tobacco was different. Chewing tobacco was the cause of oral cancer, which accounted for over 35 per cent of all cancers in India.

However, there were no restrictions for shops and vendors selling chewing tobacco both in factory-produced sachets and betel-quid or paan, Dr Aggarwal said.

The foundation in association with Delhi government's Anti- Smoking Cell organised a conference to commemorate 'World No Tobacco Day' falling on May 31 to spread the message about the ills of tobacco.

Tableau and health workers would also visit every slum area in the city to create awareness about hazards of tobacco consumption and on the spot counselling and check-ups to those who want to quit smoking or tobacco chewing.

Cricketers Ashish Nehra and Gautam Gambhir also lend their support to the cause at the conference and said smoking and sports could not go together. People who smoked and indulged in athletic activities have high chances of sudden death. One minute of smoking was associated with one minute reduction in the life-span.

As smoking was linked to harmful effects in pregnancy, children and infants, Program Officer-Anti Smoking Cell A C Tripathi said Delhi government had already banned smoking in public areas. It had created an impact on the society and more and more children and adolescents were adapting to no-smoking lifestyle.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi Medical Health Officer K N Tewari criticised the move by many of the cigarette companies of launching mobile smoking cafeterias-cum-lounges. It would only promote smoking.

New Delhi Municipal Council MHO S K Garg said the core strategy of the tobacco industry was the word 'NEW'. It was the new variant of the 'light', 'mild' and 'low tar' cigarette campaigns but they all were harmful.

Dr Anil Mehra from Delhi Health Service said use of tobacco currently accounted for three million deaths each year worldwide.

Smokers were about four times as likely to become ill with TB as were non-smokers and consequently four times as likely to die from the disease.

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