The Hidden Dangers of Vaping: A Teen Crisis
Vaping in India is a growing public health emergency. While the government banned e-cigarettes in 2019 via Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, unregulated access, poor enforcement, and widespread ignorance about its true risks exist.
Vaping in India
Dr. Gautam Saha, neuropsychiatrist and founder of Clinic Brain Neuropsychiatric Institute & Research Centre in Kolkata, says, "More teenagers are picking up their first cigarette or vape without realising they've started a habit that's notoriously hard to shake."
Vaping: An Addiction
Many teenagers believe that vaping is a 'safer' or more benign alternative to smoking cigarettes. This is a dangerous misconception, says Dr. Saha.
The Misconception
Unlike cigarettes, vape devices use nicotine salts, which deliver higher doses more rapidly into the bloodstream, leading to a sharp increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and overall vascular strain.
Heart Under Pressure
Dr. Ranjan Mathur, cardiologist from Delhi, says, "We now see 17-year-olds with symptoms we once saw only in middle-aged smokers. Many of them never touched cigarettes, just vapes."
"Beyond mood disturbances, nicotine exposure can impair memory, learning, and impulse control, traits essential for adolescence and adulthood alike," adds Dr. Saha.
Memory and Learning
Dr. Meera Kumari, a child psychiatrist in Thane. 'We're not just dealing with addiction any more. We're dealing with emotional volatility, academic decline, and long-term behavioural changes.'
Mental Health
Exposure to diacetyl causes irreversible lung injury, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath, says Dr. Radhika Banka, pulmonologist at PD Hinduja Hospital..
Irreversible Lung Damage
"Until every school is truly tobacco-free and every parent knows a USB-stick could be an e-cigarette, we have work to do," states Malavika Kaura Saxena, chief marketing officer at Rusan Pharma.
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Indian Express
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- Indian Express
CM Manik Saha warns students about HIV, substance abuse; says Tripura saw 103% rise in drug seizures in 2023-24
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Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College Hosts First West Zone and Maharashtra State Conference on Adolescent Health
Department of Paediatrics at Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, in association with the Maharashtra Adolescent Health Academy (MAHA-AHA), successfully hosted the First West Zone and First Maharashtra State Conference on Adolescent Health, titled ADOLESCON 2025. With the theme 'Empowering Adolescents: Transforming Futures,' the two-day event witnessed participation from over 500 attendees (256 in person and 261 online), including health experts, educators, parents and PG students, for multi-disciplinary discussions on adolescent health and development. Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, in association with MAHA-AHA, hosted the First West Zone and First Maharashtra State Conference on Adolescent Health The conference opened with a Youth Workshop, inaugurated by Dr. A. Rekha (Dean, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune), who was felicitated as the Chief Guest. 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Simultaneously, a session titled 'Parenteening: for Parents of Teenagers' was conducted for parents, with a turnout of around 120-150 attendees, addressing practical parenting strategies and enhancing parent-adolescent communication. The event was led by Dr. Jayant Pandarekar. The Youth Workshop included over 40 expert-led sessions, conducted in hybrid mode, covering essential topics such as psychosocial development, identity formation, hormonal changes and behavioural concerns like delayed puberty and peer influence. Speakers such as Dr. Mahesh Sulakshane, Dr. Vinita Pande and Dr. Kiran Vaswani focused on mental health, suicide prevention, reproductive health and adolescent violence etc. Discussions on Nutrition and Lifestyle were led by Dr. Shailaja Mane and Dr. Swati Waghmare who emphasized healthy habits, exercise and adequate sleep. A dedicated session on Adolescent Healthcare Delivery addressed communication, confidentiality and behaviour change strategies, with insights from Dr. Nishikant Kowal, Dr. Beena Desai and Dr. Anita Mangla. Vulnerable groups were also addressed in sessions on adolescents with special needs, substance abuse, and peer pressure, led by experts such as Dr. Hemant Joshi and Dr. Bal Krishna Garud. Hands-on learning continued with a Clinical Skills and Case-Based Learning module that showcased examination techniques and real-life case discussions on conditions like PCOS, presented by Dr. Abhijit Aphale and Dr. Satish Visnoi. One of the most engaging segments of Day 1 was the Panelyashod Discussion and Public Forum, moderated by Dr. Jayant Pandharipkar, which facilitated open dialogue between parents, adolescents, and healthcare professionals, focusing on issues such as mobile addiction, peer pressure and digital influence on youth behaviour. The second day featured the Scientific Conference, where a series of focused sessions brought together diverse medical professionals, mental health experts and adolescent advocates. Critical topics such as anxiety, depression, body image issues and suicide prevention were discussed in depth by speakers like Dr. Vaishali Deshmukh, Dr. Paula Goel, and Dr. Shamik Ghosh. A notable session titled 'Gen Z: Values and Views,' moderated by Dr. Nishikant Kowal and Dr. Geeta Patil, provided a platform for youth to voice their concerns and perspectives. Panellists included Dr. Sangeeta Lodha, Dr. Sampada Tumbolkar and Master Rohit Diwate, who shared insights into the evolving attitudes and behaviours of the new generation. Adding to the pride of the institution, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre was recognized during the event for being honoured with the prestigious IBCLC Care Award 2025-2027 by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), USA. The hospital is now the first and only hospital in India to receive this award for two consecutive terms, in recognition of its sustained excellence in lactation and breastfeeding support services. Hon'ble Dr. Bhagyashree P. Patil, Pro-Chancellor, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pimpri, Pune, emphasized the importance of such outreach. She said, 'Adolescents today are navigating complex emotional, social and digital environments. Through this school health programme, we are planting the seeds of awareness, resilience and responsibility in the young minds of our community. Such outreach is essential in shaping a healthier and more informed future generation.' Hon'ble Dr. Yashraj Patil, Trustee & Treasurer, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pimpri, Pune, added, 'We believe in empowering our youth through health education that goes beyond textbooks. This programme reaffirms our commitment to holistic learning and community engagement, ensuring that students are not just academically sound but also emotionally and socially aware.' Dr. Rekha Arcot, Dean of Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, said, 'The School Health Programme is a reflection of our proactive role in public health and adolescent care. Our expert faculty has done commendable work in connecting with students on relevant issues that impact their daily lives.' Dr. Shailaja Mane, Head of the Department of Paediatrics, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, stated, 'Health awareness must begin early and in the right context. 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Patil Medical College, Hospital &Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune follows international benchmarks that are performance-driven as well as patient-centric, strongly backed by evidence-based medical expertise. We are NABH and NABL accredited and have been certified as a Green Hospital by the Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI). Additionally, we hold the 11th rank in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The university has been awarded A++ status by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and is an ISO 2015 certified organization (ISO 9001: 2015). For more information visit • Facebook: Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre • Instagram:
Indian Express
12-08-2025
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Sleep apnea keeping you breathless and sleepless? Try blowing a conch shell, says study
When a 42-year-old man came in with snoring so severe that he had to sleep in another room so as not to disturb his wife and woke up in fits and starts, Dr Rajeev Gupta put him through a sleep test. The man was found to be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder where your upper airway repeatedly becomes blocked or narrowed during sleep because of flaccid throat muscles and reduces oxygen flow in the blood. Dr Gupta recommended a sleep aid that forces the airways open but his patient could not just adapt to it. So he put him on a conch shell-blowing routine, twice daily, with a trainer. Within 12 months of this drill, regular walking and a low fat diet, the man's snoring subsided, his daytime sleepiness went down and his throat muscles became stronger. 'I gathered anecdotal evidence through all my patient outcomes and then decided to do a clinical trial on effects of conch shell-blowing on sleep apnea. Already, some studies on usage of wind-blown instruments like saxophone had shown positive results in reducing symptoms like snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. This led to our hypothesis that shankh-blowing might offer similar advantages. Our trial showed promising results; patients felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night after regular blowing of the shankh,' says Dr Gupta, study author and chair, Preventive Cardiology & Medicine, Eternal Heart Care Center & Research Centre, Jaipur. The study by Dr Gupta and his colleagues has just been published in the European Respiratory Journal Open Research. Though small, it is significant because it eliminates the need for bulky breathing devices like the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which is the gold standard treatment. Conch shell-blowing can even be used as complementary therapy. 'We tested this technique on 30 patients. Now we need to confirm the results through larger, longer-term, multi-centre studies in India and other countries to assess sustained benefits,' adds Dr Gupta. Excerpts: What did the study find? We divided 30 patients into two groups; 14 were trained to blow a conch shell twice daily for a total of 10-15 minutes (with 30 seconds of blowing into the shell and gaps to draw in fresh air) while 16 practised deep breathing exercises. After six months, those in the conch shell group showed a 34 per cent improvement in sleep, better sleep quality, lower daytime sleepiness and better oxygen saturation. The hypoxia index, which is a measure of the severity and duration of oxygen deficiency in the body, decreased by 4.4 events. In terms of overall sleep hygiene, 30 per cent in the conch shell-blowing group showed marked improvement compared to the five per cent improvement in the control group. Why conch shell-blowing is effective As we fall asleep, all our muscles relax naturally, including those in the throat. But in obstructive sleep apnea, the same muscles relax too much, causing the soft tissues in the back of the throat, such as the tongue, palate and tonsils to collapse and narrow or completely close the airway. This disrupts breathing in patients and forces them to wake up intermittently in the night, gasping for fresh air. Conch shell-blowing involves breathing in deeply and exhaling into a spiral-shaped shell. This action creates strong vibrations and airflow resistance, which strengthens both the tongue and throat muscles and prevents them from collapsing easily. This is a far easier drill to follow twice a day than remaining hooked to a CPAP machine, which delivers a continuous stream of pressurised air through a mask worn over the nose or mouth, keeping the airways open during sleep and preventing pauses in breathing. The patient has to maintain the same sleeping posture. How have the results held in patients who were not part of the study? I had first discussed the concept in an article published in the RUHS Journal of Health Sciences in 2018. Privately, I recommended it to patients of sleep apnea who somehow could not take to the CPAP machine. So going by anecdotal evidence, the conch shell-blowing patients have been able to stay up to four years off the CPAP machine. Can conch shell-blowing be a reliable therapy? If the results hold in larger trials, it can. It will be a cheap and at-home option for the billion people who suffer from sleep apnea.
