Tobacco cessation clinic

Tobacco Cessation Clinic, is an initiative by The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health, Government of India. Tobacco cessation activities formally begun with starting of 13 Tobacco Cessation Clinics in Anand, Bhopal, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cuttack, Delhi (2), Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Patna in 2002. Tobacco cessation clinics were renamed as Tobacco cessation center in 2005. Five more Tobacco Cessation Centers were established in Mizoram, Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Trivandrum which makes the total number as 18 all over India.

The services offered at the clinic includes, individual intervention in the form of Behavioral Counseling, Medication, and Nicotine replacement therapy. At large, the Centers also intend to create awareness among the general public about the ill effects of tobacco, and about tobacco cessation through awareness programs, exhibitions, preparation of information booklets/manuals aimed at specific populations (eg: consumers of tobacco/clinicians/general public), training programs on tobacco cessation for various professionals etc.

The Tobacco Cessation Clinic Resource Center, (TCCRC) which is functioning in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, (NIMHANS), Bangalore, is the National Coordinating center for all the TCCs.

The center in Bangalore, runs an out patient Clinic, twice in a week (on Saturdays and Mondays, from 9 am to 1 pm) in the De-addiction OP section of the NIMHANS. Tobacco Cessation Center, provides professional support to many who are in the clutches of Tobacco to start a new life. Help is available in the form of behavioral counseling, Nicotine replacement therapy, and medicines which helps, the individual to reduce the craving for Nicotine.