DOH: Cessation clinics in place to help smokers kick habit

Saying there is no other effective way to prevent tobacco-related deaths but to quit smoking, the Department of Health on Tuesday urged smokers to visit the government's cessation clinics that it said may help them kick the habit.

DOH Secretary Enrique Ona said the smoking cessation clinics offer needed support to smokers who want to quit and are experiencing much pressure in doing so.

“Evidence has shown that cessation is the only intervention with the potential to reduce tobacco-related deaths and should therefore be a part of an overall comprehensive tobacco control policy of any country,” Ona said on the DOH's Facebook page.

“Government intervention for smoking are in place, we have enough health workers and health professionals to help,” he added.

In Metro Manila, Ona said the government's smoking cessation clinics are located in:

"Among current cigarette smokers, 60.6 percent want to quit. This translates to around 10 million Filipinos needing help to quit smoking," it said.

It cited a document from the World Health Organization in 2003 showing it will not be possible to reduce tobacco-related deaths over the next 30 to 50 years "unless adult smokers are encouraged to quit."

"Due to the addictiveness of tobacco products, tobacco users will need support in quitting, the document also said," the DOH noted.

Presently, it said only one to three percent of cigarette smokers achieve lasting abstinence, which means at least 12 months of abstinence from smoking, using willpower alone.

Smoking cessation

The DOH said the WHO policy paper disclosed support for smoking cessation refers techniques such motivation, advise and guidance, counseling, telephone and internet support, and appropriate pharmaceutical aids to encourage and help smokers stop using tobacco and avoid a relapse.

Also, it cited figures from the Philippine Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2009 showing 28.3 percent (17.3 million) Filipinos aged 15 and up smoke tobacco.

Of the total current smokers, 14.6 million are men while 2.8 million are women.

It added some 80 percent of these current smokers are daily smokers with men and women averaging 11.3 and 7 sticks of cigarettes per day respectively. — LBG, GMA News