A journey to health and wellnes
The tobacco industry has a significant and growing negative impact on the environment, further straining the planet’s limited resources and fragile ecosystems.
Every year, tobacco use causes the deaths of over eight million people, devastates the environment, and harms human health through its production, distribution, consumption, and post-consumer waste.
In order to raise awareness of the tobacco pandemic and its deadly consequences worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) established World No Tobacco Day in 1987.
The primary goals are to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and to encourage governments to enact laws prohibiting smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption.
Quitters are real winners
Despite the well-known fact that smoking can shorten life expectancy by up to 16 years and increase the risk of over 40 serious diseases — including lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke — by up to tenfold, quitting remains a challenge for many.
Smoking not only harms the smoker but also impacts those around them, particularly family members. Pregnant women who smoke risk having premature, underweight, or stillborn babies, while children exposed to cigarette smoke may suffer from more frequent illnesses, asthma, delayed lung development, and ear, nose, and throat infections.
Because nicotine is so highly addictive, some studies have compared nicotine dependency to that of cocaine, opiates, and other illegal narcotics.
Breaking the habit is challenging due to the behavioural and emotional connections associated with tobacco use, such as smoking a cigarette with coffee, seeking tobacco during stress, or feeling sadness.
So, the main question remains: Can smokers completely give up their harmful habit?
We often hear the saying “Quitters never win”, right? But when it comes to tobacco and smoking, those who quit are actually the real winners!
There are plenty of health benefits to quitting smoking for all smokers.
The WHO states that when you stop smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure decrease within 20 minutes, your circulation improves, and your lung function increases within two to twelve weeks.
Additionally, your coughing and shortness of breath will lessen within one to nine months, your risk of coronary heart disease will be approximately half that of a smoker’s after a year, and you will reap many other health benefits!
Quit Smoking Clinic
The majority of smokers believe that quitting is merely a matter of willpower and remain unaware of the various effective treatments available to help them achieve this goal.
To better inform patients about their options for quitting smoking, health care professionals who frequently treat smokers should be knowledgeable about the many therapies that are available.
Those who use tobacco products are twice as successful in quitting when they receive professional help and cessation services.
As the leading cardiovascular and thoracic centre in Malaysia, the National Heart Institute (IJN) has taken on the responsibility of informing heart patients about the risks associated with their condition, assisting in their rehabilitation, and helping smokers quit.
In February 2008, the centre opened its Quit Smoking Clinic.
According to the IJN website, the clinic was staffed by senior nursing experts with experience from the Cardiology Department’s Heart Failure Unit and the Patient Counselling Department.
It served clients who were eager to quit smoking and needed support, as well as those referred by doctors.
The clinic’s objectives included educating smokers about the harmful effects of smoking and helping them overcome their nicotine addiction completely.
“Because nicotine is so addicting, quitting smoking can be extremely challenging, especially without support.
“Clients in the Quit Smoking Programme are evaluated on a case-by-case basis depending on various factors, including their medical condition and their level of desire to quit,” it says on the website.
It further states that in addition to offering counselling and motivation, skilled nurses will assess the clients’ lifestyles and educate them about the various treatments and medications available, including both non-nicotine and nicotine replacement therapies.
Following this, a carbon monoxide analysis will be conducted, and a recommended course of action will be provided.
Smokers require support, assistance
The primary goal was to help clients quit smoking effectively.
Statistically, the average smoker needs to attempt quitting five to seven times before achieving success, and 95 per cent of those who try to quit without assistance fail.
In response to these challenges, the centre (IJN) has initiated its own Quit Smoking Support Group.
This group meets once every two months and invites both new clients and several successful “quitters” to the sessions.
During the inaugural meeting, which took place in March 2011, successful quitters and other participants shared their stories, inspiring one another to achieve success.
Witnessing others in similar circumstances who have successfully quit smoking provides greater motivation.
The clinic also hosted an annual public forum on smoking cessation, where successful quitters were recognised as “graduates” and awarded certificates of achievement.
Additionally, the Quit Smoking Clinic conducted outreach programmes, especially at the request of public and private sector groups seeking to encourage their employees or members to quit smoking.
The Quit Smoking Group will inform the public about the dangers of smoking and strategies for quitting.
Smokers who wish to give up their habit can contact the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan at 082-668111 and ask for an extension to the Quit Smoking Clinic.
Additionally, the Health Unit of UiTM Kampus Samarahan 2 operates its own Smoking Cessation Clinic in collaboration with the Stop-Smoking Clinic of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
The Smoking Cessation Clinic offers services such as stop-smoking consultations, motivational support, and related education, while SGH provides medication and additional treatment.
To learn more about the Quit Smoking Programme, members of the public can visit the Ministry of Health’s portal (www.myhealth.gov.my) or call the Quit Smoking Infoline at 03-88834400.
