scorecardresearch“World No Tobacco Day” helps to create awareness of negative effects of

“World No Tobacco Day” helps to create awareness of negative effects of tobacco-related addiction, says Ravichandran N

Updated: 31 May 2023, 09:42 AM IST
TL;DR.

In an interview with MintGenie, Ravichandran said that smoking is harmful and leads to long-term consequences on the overall health and body.

Ravichandran N, Chief Technical Officer, Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company

Ravichandran N, Chief Technical Officer, Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company

Proposal forms of health insurance policies generally enquire about the lifestyle habits of customers, says Ravichandran N, Chief Technical Officer, Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company.

In an interview with MintGenie, Ravichandran said that smoking is a major risk factor for a variety of ailments.

Edited Excerpts:

Q. Smoking habits kill. Yet, so many people smoke. On average, how many health insurance claims does your company settle against smoking-related disorders?

Smoking-related diseases include cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and problems with the immune system. While some are directly caused, it is a major risk factor for many ailments. However, it is difficult to ascertain the entire universe of claims caused due to smoking.

Q. Do your prospective clients reveal their smoking habits?

Proposal forms of health insurance policies generally enquire about the lifestyle habits of customers and we have observed that customers generally declare such habits.

Q. Does your insurance company take cognizance of e-smoking habits too?

Majority of the e-cigarettes use nicotine and we would be considering the same on par with normal smoking.

Q. Lifestyle habits affect health insurance premiums. Despite this, people continue to indulge in tobacco-related addiction. What would be your advice to your customers?

We would strongly advise the entire community at large to stay away from indulging in smoking considering that these are harmful and lead to long-term consequences on the overall health and body.

Q. How much difference do you think "World No Tobacco Day” makes in awareness?

World Health Organization estimates suggest that eight million persons die due to consumption of tobacco. Apart from the direct impact on the smoker, it has an impact on the persons around us as passive smoking or secondhand smoke is also harmful. “World No Tobacco Day” helps in creating awareness of the negative effects of tobacco-related addiction and assists in the creation of a tobacco-free generation.

 

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First Published: 31 May 2023, 09:42 AM IST