Tobacco Cessation Clinic

The principle reasoning behind smoking cessation clinic is to treat smoking like any other ailment; with medications to prevent cravings, strategies to deal with situations in which the urge to smoke is high, and nicotine replacement therapy to counter and tide over instances in which the desire to smoke makes one overwhelmingly uncomfortable. India is the second largest producer and consumer of tobacco. It offers a number of tobacco usage options at a very low price. Tobacco use is one of the major reasons for many deadly diseases like cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke. It accounts for almost 1.35 million deaths every year.

The Tobacco Cessation Clinic at P. D. Hinduja Hospital offers a multi-disciplinary approach to help tobacco addicts to get off this habit. The clinic offers customised plans as per the patients profile after thorough assessment of the case. The clinic comprises a trained respirologist with the knowledge and skills to assess the level of dependence, and to suggest appropriate pharmacotherapy, and a trained psychologist to help with the anxiety and apprehensions that are inevitable with such a major life-altering decision. The duration of the treatment is usually 3 months but may be extended up to 6 month. The timeline for doctor counselling is 1st week, after 3 weeks, 2 months and 3 months.

  • All tobacco / smoking related ailments
  • Nicotine replacement therapy

The clinic comprises a trained respirologist with the knowledge and skills to assess the level of dependence, and to suggest appropriate pharmacotherapy, and a trained psychologist to help with the anxiety and apprehensions that are inevitable with such a major life-altering decision.

Medications based on estimating the dose of nicotine consumed through tobacco, and the degree of addiction:

Champix - The most successful smoking cessation drug worldwide is used which stimulates the nicotine receptor, providing the nicotine high, yet at the same time blocking the receptor, thereby preventing the high obtained from tobacco

Buproprion – It is an antidepressant that has met with success in curbing the addiction Nicotine gum and patch treatment - People don't get addicted to the nicotine in gum or patch. The gum should not be consumed like a chewing gum as it leads to nausea and vomiting. The correct technique to consume should be followed from the instructions on the manual

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Screening for depression followed by psychiatric counselling for different cases such as suicidal feelings, angina, etc.

Every Saturday between 14.00hrs – 17.00 hrs

Dr. Lancelot Pinto
Consultant - Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist
MBBS, DNB (Respiratory Medicine), MSc (Epidemiology - McGill University, Canada), Fellow (Sleep medicine and COPD Rehabilitation - McGill University, Canada), FCCP (USA), ECFMG certified (USA)