Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi, and Prof Kiran Walia, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare, launched a community based pilot project seeking to prevent and treat tobacco use through awareness, education and clinical interventions on World No Tobacco Day (31 May).

“This year our objective is to create a successful and replicable intervention model for creating awareness on tobacco cessation and smoking cessation clinics through referrals and community linkages. At the same time, we hope to strengthen treatment compliance in existing tobacco cessation clinics with the support of doctors, NGOs, families at the institutional and community levels”, stated Prof. Kiran Walia.

The Delhi Government will implement the project through the Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), in partnership with Chronic Care Foundation (CCF), Pfizer Limited and public/private hospitals and clinics in Delhi. The project will be supported by technical assistance from key stakeholders including DMA, Tobacco Control Cell, PHFI and VHAI.

“Will power alone is not always sufficient enough to stop tobacco consumption. Certain areas of the brain undergo chemical changes as a result of extended use of various forms of tobacco. Professional help would be essential to address nicotine addiction,” said Dr Nimesh Desai, Director, IHBAS. Another challenge is the low level of compliance from tobacco users that opt for clinical interventions. As a result, the number of successful quitters remains low with several cases of relapse into tobacco addiction.

The pilot project is an attempt to address these challenges through a holistic two pronged approach to:

• Provide information to smokers, households, and communities on tobacco cessation support available through government and other stakeholders through referrals to existing Tobacco Control Clinics (TCCs) in East and South Delhi.
• Support treatment compliance in these TCCs by providing OPD and Community level counseling and follow up services to help smokers successfully quit.

Pfizer has helped private doctors and hospitals to launch about 200 TCCs across the country, including thirty in Delhi over the past two years. By partnering with the Delhi government, Pfizer and Chronic Care Foundation seek to extend TCC services to public clinics and hospitals. The pilot project will also treat smokeless forms of tobacco such as chewing tobacco which is a major problem in India.

The Chief Minister also launched the Tobacco Cessation Clinics Case Studies, that have been published by Pfizer to provide a guide for managing a TCC. The pilot project will be guided by these case studies based on successful public-private sector tobacco control interventions in Delhi and other parts of the country. They provide practical information on referrals, counseling, self-help and pharmacotherapy.

A number of TCCs have been established across the country. They provide three levels of support that include awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use, counseling and pharmacotherapy. The case studies document some of the initial experiences from both public and private hospitals as well as individual clinics including Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi, IHBAS, Delhi, NIMHANS, Bangalore, Empower Wellness, Mumbai and the Regional Cancer Hospital, Cuttak. “These cases serve as a practical guide for setting up new tobacco control clinics in India and in other countries to take the War on Tobacco to the next level, “said Mr. Kewal Handa, Managing Director, Pfizer Limited.

The pilot project will cover six residential areas in East and South Delhi, involving the entire community in supporting tobacco users in their struggle to quit the habit. NGOs will play a critical role similar to a personal trainer helping individuals to achieve their fitness objectives. By providing encouragement and psycho-social mentoring, the NGO, community and family will collectively ensure that the patient completes the full course of treatment.

“By targeting smokers at the community and institutional levels, the project will close the circle through counseling, referrals, and patient follow ups. These efforts will lead to increased treatment compliance, reduced relapse rates and successful quitters”, said Dr Ratna Devi, CEO, Chronic Care Foundation.

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