Light up your mind, spare the butt

Smoking is no more ‘cool’. From a “what, you don’t smoke,” to “oh, you smoke” approach, there has been a drastic shift in the mindsets of smokers and non-smokers. Even at the workplace, the ones that light up are a self-conscious lot. When they smoke they keep an eye out for patrolling cops or passers by, in general.

Save for the ban on smoking in public places brought into effect from 2 October 2008, if not quitting, at least many have begun to consider smoking a hazard, a no-no. While the few that continue to sneak out to smoke in a mall parking lot or an office staircase are met with cold stares.

It’s been over a year and a half since the ban, we find out how many lives it has really touched and if it has been worth the effort.

“I am a smoker and have been smoking for many years now. But I’d say kudos to Ramadoss for initiating this, though it is a tad late in India. When I’m out with friends I don’t carry cigarettes because there is no point,” says Ayesha Kapur who worked as content head with a leading e-commerce portal before going on a sabbatical. “Even at work when you crave for a drag, you have to first search for a safe place. This has lead me to cut down on smoking,” says she.


Does she think that this newly-gained consciousness is a welcome change? “Absolutely, every time you light up a cigarette you know you are doing wrong. The message ‘Don’t be stupid, save your life’ is loud and clear.” It is also Ayesha’s New Year resolution this year to quit smoking.


Even those subject to secondhand smoke have started to make their objection plain. In such a pressure situation, a smoker is not left with many choices but to drop the idea. Despite the criticism on the enforcement of the smoke ban in public places, a fine sensitization on the issue has been created. Smokers are looked down upon, and attract advises from all and sundry to kick the butt. Says Aradhana Bhatnagar, a journalist, “My husband smokes, but is more conscious these days. The other day the doctor asked him if he smokes and he was embarrassed. Since he can’t smoke openly anymore, he does so from his office balcony.”


Has it put a check on his habit? “He makes up for it by smoking at home. But yes, he has definitely cut down, from 8 cigarettes to 5 a day, it is a major achievement for him,” she reveals. “In fact, he has tried quitting a couple of times in the past. This time he is taking a dose of Bupron 300mg, which gradually, over a period of 60 days, kills the urge to smoke. Smoking may be his idea of ‘me-time’, but I’d like him to give it up for good,” she adds.


So, could smoking thickly at home be a fall out of the ban? Agrees social activist, Hemant Goswami, “Till the time you completely phase out tobacco, people will continue to find alternatives to smoke. Since, it is a bit of a risk to smoke in the open now, people do so from their homes, subjecting their families to secondhand smoke. Consumption of smokeless tobacco such as pan masala and gutkha is at an all-time rise. It also explains the exponential growth in oral cancer from 5 to 15 per cent in the last two decades.” Hemant Goswami is the man behind making Chandigarh smoke free.


He has been awarded the Extraordinary Award for his commitment as a dedicated smoke-free and tobacco control activist to promote the implementation of the guidelines on Article 8 (smoke-free policies) of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). He explains, “Chandigarh was our independent effort, we worked with our own money, the government did not help us in anyway. And on 15 July 2007, it became the first Indian city to go smoke free.” It has been almost three years now, how does he ensure its smoke-free status? “To this end we have volunteers who randomly take rounds of localities, and report back cases of smoking in public places to the police. Subsequently action is taken against the offenders. A localite there has the confidence to report such instances as he knows he’ll be taken seriously by the authorities,” says he.


But for Manish Amin, CIO of Yatra.com, the smoke ban in public places has put things into perspective. “Earlier I would smoke about 20 cigarettes a day, now I have cut down to 10, courtesy the ban. You can no longer stand under a tree or anywhere you please and smoke away to glory. Besides, smoking in the car is something I avoid when the family is around,” he shares. These days, Manish has taken a fancy to electronic cigarette. It works well for him and helps reduce addiction. He reveals, “I have bought an e-cigarette from Bengali market, Delhi for 4000 bucks. It comes with a charger, cartridges with nicotine drops and a battery pack. This way you are not lighting up and yet getting the same kick. In lengthy board meetings I just take a puff and I am good for the next half hour.”


He feels that the best part about e-cigs is that there are no chemicals, only a flavouring of nicotine. “I have two unidentified cartridges, one with and the other without nicotine. Now-a-days, I can barely tell which is which. The effect is merely psychological,” he adds. Does he also intend quitting for good? “Yes, it is a step in that direction. And, I hope to quit by this year end,” says he.


Ayesha beautifully sums it up: “If you can do without a cigarette for a few hours, you can also quit.”

Everything about Aloe Vera!

So far, it was just a juice recommended by nutritionists and dieticians. But dig more into the history of Aloe Vera and it has several benefits for the future of medicine.

Aloe Vera has fast become one of the most commonly used plants in herbal cosmetics and medicines. Whether its creams, gels, lotions, showergels or just plain Aloe Vera juice, it is here to stay. But ever wondered where this plant hascome from and how all of a sudden it has become such a rage in the ayurvedic, herbal and medical world?

It is believed that there have been mentions of the Aloe plant in the Rig Veda, which is the earliest book of natural medicine dating BCE 4,500 and BCE 1,600. Ayurvedic practitioner Dr Meghna Dixit says, “It was somewhere around BCE 5,000 that most of the plants mentioned in the Rig Veda were written by Dhanwantri, the God of Ayurveda. In this book, Aloe Vera is specifically recommended for the reproductive system, liver and dealing with worms when injected or consumed. External uses included healing of wounds.” A complete detail about its medicinal uses was also found in Papyrus ebers, an Egyptian document written in BCE 1,550. There were around 12 formulae given in this book to mix the Aloe Vera gel with other agents to solve skin and internal disorders. Gradually getting noticed due to its various advantages, particularly in India the use of Aloe Vera plants were widely spread around 375 BC.

Growing the Aloe Vera plant

According to botanists, Aloe Vera plants originated in warm conditions and mostly flourished in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Africa is one of the largest homes of Aloe Vera plants. But the plant had been carried to various parts of the world and due to its great adaptable nature, the plant flourished in any region, provided that it was mandatory to create a some what warm environment. That’s one of the reasons why Aloe Vera grows well in greenhouses.

Current developments

Although in the medical community, Aloe Vera did not prove to have much official standings for a long time, people are now realising its importance in many medical sectors. Aloe Vera gel is widely used for skin treatments such as burns or bruises. Additionally Aloe Vera plants are used in many cosmetic materials and are also consumed as a health drink. But since researchers are still finding more benefits and it has been so far restricted only to the ayurvedic field, it has sometime till it gathers it’s deserved fame in the allopathy market. Dr Dixit says, “The juice and the gel are good for cough, cold, asthama, bronchitis and other respiratory track diseases. It is a good detoxifying agent and aides in absorption of nutrients, enhancing the immune system. Currently the FDA has approved the use of Aloe Vera plants for the research of Cancer treatment and AIDS, where the immunity system goes down. If used over a period of time, it helps in overall body benefits as well as acts as an age defying element.” More and more research is going on to get the most out from this powerful healing agent.

Nutritionist Deepshikha Agarwal says, “It has LDL, (Low Density Lipoprotein), which helps reducing cholestrol so most cardiovascular and hypertension patients are recommended to have it. It’s also very good for skin problems like sun burns or allergies. Even for arthritis and joint pains it helps by removing inflammation and helps curing joint problems. It also helps in weight loss. Although it is available in many forms today, the oldest and most convenient way we recommend for intake is to have 30 ml of Aloe Vera diluted with water early morning. Even a normal person without any problems can have it to stay healthy.”