MCDS to Launch ‘Tobacco Cessation Centre’
The Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangaluru is establishing a “Tobacco Cessation Centre “.
Mangaluru: Addressing the media persons during the press meet held at Mangalore Press Club, Dr Dilip Nayak, Dean of Manipal College of Dental Sciences-Mangaluru said, ” The Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangaluru is establishing a “Tobacco Cessation Centre “. To commemorate the establishment of the aforementioned centre, we are conducting a Continuing Professional Development Program titled “ImpACT: IMPlementing Activities for Cessation of Tobacco” on 11th August, 2016 at Manipal College of Dental Sciences, near Attavar, Mangaluru.
Dr Nayak further said, “Tobacco related health issues is one of the major health challenges that the world is presently facing. WHO Report on t.he Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2015 indicates that 25.9% of India’s adult population report the use of smokeless tobacco, while 14% report smoking tobacco. The Tobacco Atlas, created by American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation indicates that a total of 14.3% of all deaths among men in India is due to tobacco use. This calls for definitive action to be taken from all quarters to combat the major public health threat that is currently posed by tobacco. It is in this light that our department has taken this initiative to establish a tobacco cessation centre.”
“We are pleased to bring to your notice that our initiative has received support and encouragement from Karnataka Bank, Mangalore. They have helped us undertake capacity building, training and other related activities related to tobacco cessation. As a part of this initiative, we have invited distinguished speakers from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore to conduct capacity building and professional training for dental health professionals. The team from NIMHANS is led by Dr. Pratima Murthy, Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, & Chief, De-addiction Services, who is a pioneer in the field of deaddiction medicine in India.” added Dr Nayak.
Also speaking, Dr Rajesh G- Professor and Head of Dept. of Public Health Dentistry said, ” The aforementioned program will be inaugurated by Mr. P. Jayarama Bhat, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Karnataka Bank Ltd. Dr. V Surendra Shetty, Pro Vice Chancellor, Manipal University, Mangaluru Campus, will preside over the function. This program is of special relevance in the context of developing nations like India, which are grappling with ever increasing health problems related to tobacco use which is compounded by a definite scarcity of resources. The program will pave the way for effective integration of tobacco cessation activities across various disciplines to combat the ever increasing menace of tobacco.”. Dr Junaid Ahmed, Professor and Head of Oral Dentistry and Radiology was also present during the meet.