Deaddiction Clinic

Here is how any kind of addiction can harm your health:

Tobacco & Smokeless Tobacco

• May increase risk of heart attacks, strokes, peripheral vascular disease (gangrene), COPD, emphysema, and cancers of the lung, larynx, oral cavity, and pancreas

Alcohol

• Chronic use damages the liver in stages, including fatty changes, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and eventual liver failure
• Raises the risk of oesophageal and oral cancers as well as heart diseases

Drugs (Opioids & Stimulants)

• Dependence disrupts virtually every organ system over time
• Psychiatric consequences - depression, psychosis, and severe anxiety are common and often outlast the substance use itself

What makes all of these conditions particularly dangerous is how quietly the damage accumulates. Most patients who walk into our hospital don't notice a single turning point; the harm built up across years of regular use, below the threshold of obvious symptoms, until something serious forces the issue. Addiction is rarely just a behavioural problem. The brain's reward circuitry is physically altered, making continued use feel necessary and stopping feel impossible without support. That's precisely why willpower alone has such a poor track record, not because patients lack resolve, but because the biology is working against them. Early, structured treatment at our tobacco, alcohol, and drug de-addiction centre in Navi Mumbai at UMC Hospitals is helpful.

There's a validated screening tool called the Fagerström Test that helps measure nicotine dependence objectively. It's not complicated; it looks at things like how soon after waking you reach for your first cigarette or first chew, whether you smoke more in the early hours, how many cigarettes per day, and whether you'd continue even when you're ill in bed.

• Score below 4 — Low dependence
• Score 4 to 6 — Moderate dependence
• Score above 6 — High dependence; pharmacological support is almost always needed alongside counselling

A parallel version of this test exists for smokeless tobacco users, which we routinely use in consultations. High scorers generally cannot quit on willpower alone, not because they lack resolve, but because of how deeply nicotine has rewired the brain's reward circuitry. Knowing your score helps us build a realistic plan.

The first few weeks are genuinely hard for most people. That's when physical withdrawal peaks. But, and this is important, it does pass. The brain begins recalibrating, and with the right support, patients get through this window far more successfully than those trying alone.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) supplies the body with controlled nicotine without the toxic co-passengers found in tobacco - cyanide, carbon monoxide, and dozens of carcinogens. It's a bridge to help the brain step down gradually. A full course typically runs 10 to 12 weeks. Available forms include:

• Patches
  (16-hour or 24-hour) - Steady background control; take about 30 minutes to activate
• Nicotine gum
  (2 mg or 4 mg) - Useful day-long, roughly 10 to 15 pieces through the day; chew slowly, then park it in the side of the cheek
• Lozenges
  Dissolve for up to 30 minutes, releasing nicotine gradually
• Microtabs
  Placed under the tongue, dissolve quickly
• Inhalator
  Nicotine vapour absorbed through the mouth and throat; helpful for people who miss having something in their hands
• Nasal spray
  Delivers nicotine rapidly through the nasal mucosa; useful for sudden, intense cravings, especially in the morning

Patients with strong morning cravings often combine a patch with a faster-acting form. Using more than one NRT product can be very effective; there's no rule against it, and the evidence supports combination use for high dependence scores. For patients who haven't responded to NRT, prescription medications offer another route.

The recovery timeline is more immediate than most people expect:

• 20 minutes — Blood pressure and pulse begin normalizing; circulation improves in hands and feet
• 8 hours — Carbon monoxide in the bloodstream drops by half; oxygen levels recover
• 24 hours — Carbon monoxide is fully eliminated; lungs begin clearing mucus
• 48 hours — Body is nicotine-free; sense of taste and smell often return noticeably
• 72 hours — Breathing easier, energy levels improve
• 3 to 9 months — Lung capacity can improve by 5 to 10%; morning cough, wheeze, and breathlessness reduce
• 5 years — Risk of heart attack falls to half that of a continuing smoker
• 10 years — Lung cancer risk drops to roughly half; heart attack risk approaches that of a non-smoker

The body wants to heal. It just needs the window to do so.

Experienced de-addiction treatment doctors in Navi Mumbai at UMC Hospitals work with an individualized, structured approach to tobacco cessation, not a generic "just stop" conversation. Every patient is assessed differently because the nature of dependence, medical background, and personal readiness vary considerably.

The process typically involves:

• Detailed dependence assessment using validated tools, including the Fagerström scale
• Building a personalized quit plan with realistic timelines and trigger management
• Counselling and motivational interviewing - because people quit when they're genuinely ready, not when they feel pressured
• Medication management when dependence levels indicate it's necessary
• Multi-disciplinary input from psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists as needed

If you or someone in your family uses tobacco in any form, a single consultation can clarify exactly where the dependence sits and what the most realistic path forward looks like.