New Delhi, Inside a modest building at Delhi University’s Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute , a quiet but relentless battle against tobacco addiction is underway.

For the counsellors at the National Tobacco Quitline Services , each ring of the phone is a chance to pull someone back from a lifetime of nicotine dependence, chronic disease and avoidable death.

In 2024 alone, the Quitline registered 94,788 callers, reflecting both the scale of tobacco use in the country and the growing awareness around quitting the addiction.

While all these callers received the first proactive counselling call, the data also reveals the emotional and behavioural complexity of quitting tobacco addiction.

The engagement steadily dropped over the subsequent follow-ups: 61 per cent answered the second call, 33 per cent the third, while only 26.9 per cent stayed connected until the fourth.

Yet, within these dwindling numbers lies a powerful statistic: 19,253 people successfully quit tobacco, a success rate of 20.31 per cent, significant for a habit deeply embedded in social, economic and cultural patterns.

Only 266 users confessed to relapse, though counsellors say the actual figure is likely higher, as shame and fear often make people under-report setbacks.

Quitline users represent a cross-section of India. The largest chunk, 38.5 per cent, came from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Northeastern states saw minimal participation, with Sikkim logging just 10 calls and Mizoram three.

In Delhi, the Quitline service received 3,369 calls from residents seeking help to quit tobacco between January and December 2024, placing the national capital in the mid-range among states in terms of call volume.

Men constituted 91 per cent of all callers, reflecting the longstanding gender trend in tobacco use.

Young adults dominated the charts: more than 76 per cent were under 34, many calling between work shifts or from hostel rooms, speaking in hushed tones so friends wouldn’t overhear.

Most callers were smokeless tobacco users, often dependent on products marketed as “harmless”.

Many worked in the unorganised sector drivers, plumbers and shop assistants who, counsellors say, often take to tobacco use early and receive little support to quit.

Sitting behind rows of headsets and call logs, the Quitline’s 100 counsellors trained in psychology and social work serve as first responders in a public health crisis.

VPCI Director Raj Kumar recalled the chaotic first day of operations in 2016.

“We received almost 40,000-50,000 calls on day one. Even today, our Delhi centre alone gets 7,000 calls daily,” he told PTI.

Across centres, including the newer ones in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Guwahati, call volumes touch 15,000 per day.

Each caller is registered only after a brief, conversational process that avoids making the interaction feel like a survey or interview.

Counsellors then help the user set a “quit date”, a psychologically significant day chosen within a week, often a birthday, anniversary, or another meaningful occasion.

From there, the service switches to its signature method: proactive counselling.

Callers receive pre-quit and quit-day calls, followed by post-quit calls after one month, three months, six months and one year.

“We believe a proactive call works better than waiting for users to reach out to us. Addiction is emotional. When someone believes we are invested in their journey, they commit more,” Kumar said.

The counsellors, he added, are trained to use WHO-recommended behavioural techniques 5As, 5Rs, danger-situation recognition and coping-skill development.

“They know that by helping people quit tobacco use, they are also helping families and society. This is nation-building work,” Kumar said.

A major turning point for the National Tobacco Quitline Service came in 2018, when the Union health ministry expanded the programme beyond Delhi by establishing three regional satellite centres at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru, Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, and the Regional Cancer Institute in Guwahati.

Kumar said these institutions were “groomed” by the Patel Chest Institute to replicate its counselling model, allowing the Quitline to function as a four-centre national network that now delivers services in 15 languages and collectively handles nearly 15,000 calls every day.

The service’s 15-language outreach has made it accessible across geographies, but officials say the next leap will involve AI-supported counselling assistants to handle high volumes and personalise interventions.

Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh believes the Institute’s work is “a national contribution”.

He noted that the government’s decision to print the Quitline number on all tobacco products has brought millions into its fold.

For now, the counsellors keep calling, sometimes coaxing, sometimes consoling, and often celebrating small victories.

Every voice they hear is a reminder that India’s tobacco crisis is vast, but the will to quit is growing, one call at a time.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.