WAITing in pain: An oral cancer patient at a government hospital in Chennai. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: Soon after she was married, Madhuri (name changed on request) of Ambattur approached an allergy specialist in Mylapore. Every time her father-in-law smoked her asthma would aggravate. Her husband did not have the courage to tell his father even after the doctor counselled him. Many marital conflicts later, the couple moved out and Madhuri's asthma is now under control.

"We must realise that it is unlawful and have the guts to tell the smoker to move away," the allergy specialist says. "Maybe I will have volunteers wear placards to spread the message that smoking is injurious."

In 2002, the Cancer Institute in Adyar launched its tobacco cessation clinic with one success story. A man who smoked 20 cigarettes a day gave it up after his wife and daughter refused to let him come near them. He says now : "I am a happier man."

Unfortunately such stories have little effect. When doctors themselves are smoking, what can you do, asks a professor of medicine at a Government hospital.

"I see a lot of people with lung cancer at a very advanced stage and send them to Radiology [department]," says a professor of cardio-thoracic surgery at Government General Hospital. "We can do bronchoscopy where we sweep the inside of air passages and harvest cancer cells. At that stage treatment is effective. Most people take syrups for dry cough, a result of smoking. But there is actually a tumour growing inside."

Sixty per cent of the 16,000 visitors at the cancer outpatient clinic in Royapettah Government General Hospital suffer from tobacco-related cancer. "It may not be due to smoking but chewing or snuffing tobacco. In the past six years more patients have been coming in with cancer," says R. Rajaraman, head of Department of Oncology.

The hospital offers counselling through social workers but "it is the patient's will that will help to quit smoking."

R. Sridharan, an allergy consultant, recalls the tale of a man who had to undergo renal transplant. His doctor advised him to quit smoking. He smoked his last cigarette before the transplant.

He now stands amid smokers and inhales the smoke to indulge his craving.

V.R. Seshadri, superintendent of Indian Medical Practitioners' Cooperative Pharmacy and Stores hospitals, says `dhumrapana,' is a medicated treatment for bronchial asthma. Datura stramonium (Oomathan) leaf is rolled into cigars and used to relieve lung infection caused by smoking. "Invariably smokers have sought this treatment," says Dr. Seshadri. It helps people with lung disorders though it may not help people quit smoking. "If a person has the will he will quit smoking."

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