Need to Make Work Place Tobacco Free at Regional Labour Institute, Faridabad 20.9.2013

Need to Make Work Place Tobacco Free

Today I had the opportunity to give a talk on "Need to make work place Tobacco Free" at the Indo American Chamber of Commerce organised seminar at “Occupational Safety & Health Standards in Industries” at Regional Labour Institute (Labour Court), Sector-47, Faridabad.

But why was I there? What was I doing there? I should have been in the hospital attending to my patients and operating of course increasing my bank balance! On the contrary I took a day out to attend to a seminar.

Every day I see patients in the OPD, patients come to me from all spheres – industrialists, entrepreneurs, teachers, professionals, workers. It pains me to see young people presenting with cancer and precancerous lesions. Some I operate some I have to turn down because they have reached incurable state and sadly lot of these young patients are incurable.

Young – they are in their 30’s or 40’s the age when they are having the maximum responsibilities – of family, parents, work and at a time when they are supposed to build up their career. But instead of taking responsibilities they become liabilities of the family. Why so? Because they took to a habit unknowingly because of the peer pressure or whatever may be the reason. This habit of tobacco (chewing or smoking) is now become a disease. A disease which was preventable!!

When they started they did not know what was in store for them, but when they realised that they are into a wrong habit it was late. I ask them this question did you know that tobacco was bad for your health – 60% say yes. (Most of the educated people are aware of the problem of tobacco). When I ask them did you ever try to quit your tobacco habit – invariably 70% or more of these patients have tried quitting some time in their life. But failed, failed multiple times. Failed because they did not get the right guidance at the right time. This is the pity.  

In India, smoking is completely banned in many public places and workplaces such as healthcare, educational, and government facilities and on public transport. 

It has been seen whenever we have approached factory owner to organize a tobacco awareness program, the owners feel it a waste of time! The question they ask “ how will I benefit by making my factory tobacco free”. On the contrary some of the owners encourage tobacco to make the worker work longer!

Does the management benefit by making the workplace tobacco free? Yes they do.

•       More Efficient & Productive - Tobacco decreases the productivity by slowly and gradually decreasing the efficiency of tobacco user by affecting the blood regulation and blood pressure.  

•       Less Absenteeism - It spreads of diseases like tuberculosis and other infection, chronic diseases including cardiovascular, respiratory, hypertension, cancer and hundreds of studies can corroborate this fact.

•       Low Premium on Health Insurance - Tobacco causes many diseases and hence increases the number of medical claims which affects the premium amount.

•       Low Cleaning Cost – Tobacco users spit on walls, corners, throw cigarette butts which leave stains and require frequent cleaning and painting.

•       Positive Environment – A healthy and clean environment motivates the employees, it spreads positivity. 

A single step can change the whole economy of the organisation!!

During the interactive session that followed I had the opportunity to learn lot many issues concerning workers. Issues which are probably of more immediate concern that can lead to acute loss of life or organ of the worker.  These are issues which need to be taken care because there is legal binding. No wonder tobacco is not of prime importance to the factory owner, it does not cause acute loss of life or organ. Still I would say that the role of tobacco cannot be underestimated. It is a silent killer. It affects not just the person but the people around him also. Day in and day out I see such young people whose life is devastated.

I through I CAN WIN Foundation am committed to help these young people before it is too late. I CAN WIN Foundation has launched - “Tobacco Free India” initiative to make India – Healthy, Clean, Beautiful and Liveable.

The program consists of making youths aware of the risk of tobacco and pledge not to take any form of tobacco. For tobacco addicts, the program will help in quitting through scientific evidence based methods. A book “WIN OVER TOBACCO – Made Easy” is made available to help win over the disease. The Program has two parts:

1      Be smart not to start!

2      Win over tobacco and start living!

The “I CAN WIN FOUNDATION” has been conducting programs on lifestyle modification including anti-tobacco campaign towards its mission to win over cancer. 

I am not alone I am joined by number of Cancer winners’ and young people, like Vishesh, Geetika, Mahesh, Vivek, Shruti, Sanjeev, Rajit, Shruti, Pratyush, Naresh , Ishaan,Mohit, Rishab who could see the pain. Each one of them has taken this as personal social responsibility. Would you be a part of the campaign?

We are building up the audience through our facebook.  I urge you to join our page www.facebook.com/icanwin.org like it and share it with your friends. This can be just your first step towards making our India healthy, clean, beautiful and liveable.

 Yes I know this is not enough, more has to be done, and it will be done with more people like you joining the campaign.

I thank Mr Ashish Wig for giving me an oppurtunity to present myself at the Interactive Seminar.

I am committed.

Dr Pawan Gupta

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