Tobacco use is different from other substance abuses. Here behavioural problems are not there, unlike other substance abuses. It is a legal drug. In addition other innocent bystanders get affected passively by smoke released. The basic component-Nicotine is dangerous in large quantities. Tobacco is consumed in various ways-smoking, snuff, chewing, sucking.
As it does not cause behavioural problems in public like alcohol and other substances of use, public and doctors are not alarmed much about it. But statistics are alarming-about six million persons die due to tobacco related problems all over the world. Unfortunately 10% of these are passive smokers. About half of psychiatry patients are addicted to tobacco and most of them are not successful in getting over the habit on their own. Schizophrenia patients are the highest smokers among psychiatry patients. Withdrawal symptoms occur…
