World COPD Day: Importance Of Nicotine Replacement Therapy To Help Tobacco Users Quit

+ Follow us On Google

As the world observes World COPD Day, Dr Kunal Kumar, a leading pulmonologist from Uttarakhand, underscores the critical connection between tobacco use, whether smoking or chewing, and the growing burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

COPD is a progressive lung disease marked by breathlessness, chronic cough, and mucus production, where these symptoms may worsen with tobacco exposure. According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco smoking accounts for over 70% of COPD cases in developed nations, while in developing countries like India, where household air pollution and occupational exposures also contribute, smoking remains the predominant cause. Research further establishes that the number of ‘pack-years’ of smoking is directly correlated