[Survivor Series] I became addicted to tobacco when I was pregnant

My name is Sunita (name changed to protect privacy), I am 38 years old and have lived in Indira Nagar, which is in Mulund, a suburb in Mumbai, for the past 20 years. My hometown is in Buldana district in Maharashtra.

I am a mother of two. My older son is 15 years old and my younger boy is eight years old. My husband works as a helper at a local kirana (grocery) store and I work as a domestic maid. Outwardly, we seem like any working family in this city, going about our daily lives to make ends meet. But, inwardly, I have been having my own struggles that I have fought hard to overcome.

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When I was pregnant with my first child, my relatives suggested that I start chewing tobacco due to some traditional beliefs and customs. I would crush the leaves with limestone and chew it. By the time, he was born, I was addicted and started chewing tobacco daily. This continued during my second pregnancy as well and continued after my younger son was born.

I did try to give it up in between, but it was very difficult for me to function.

The lack of nicotine would make me listless, with no energy to do work. I would also become depressed and have anxiety attacks.

Many of my employers had banned me from chewing tobacco in their homes, and I would struggle with my cravings. I would often try and consume tobacco discreetly but would end up getting caught and I would lose my job. My dependence on tobacco not only impacted my work, it was also making me mentally disturbed.

When the lockdown started, I was approached by LifeFirst, a programme that was conducting individual sensitization sessions for the students of the municipal school and their parents over the telephone. One of the counselors, Asha Kamble, reached out to me when they knew about my addiction and patiently started telling me all about the ill-effects of tobacco. I was particularly scared when she told me about how chewing tobacco greatly increased my chances of getting COVID-19.

For the first time, I became serious about quitting. What helped was that the lockdown restricted my access to tobacco and the price had increased as well. Despite being scared and having less means of getting tobacco, I continued to feed my habit at any opportunity I got.

But the counsellors at LifeFirst would not allow me to give up on myself. I started dedicatedly following the tips/techniques Asha gave me to overcome my addiction. They also did regular follow-ups and eventually, I was able to quit tobacco completely.

Not only was I able to overcome my addiction, but I was also able to use the things I had learnt to help two of my relatives overcome their addictions.

Today I have changed my life around completely. I now advise people around me to stay away from tobacco. I believe in eating well and have also discovered a passion for cooking healthy, nutritious food. My dream is to give up working as a domestic help and start working in a restaurant where I can cook for more people. My dream is to become a chef someday.

Courtesy: Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation