Reducing the number of cigarettes a person consumes or using e-cigarettes, simply will not work when one is planning to do away from smoking.
Dr. Juanito Zuasola, the Smoking Cessation Specialist of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), said will power, discipline, and proper professional intervention are the most effective ways to stopping tobacco usage.
During the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) media forum with the the Department of Health (DOH)-7 for the celebration of “World No Tobacco Day,” Zuasola shared seven out of ten smokers desire to stop using tobacco.
However, most of those who attempt to, opt for the gradual stoppage of consumption, which he said is not effective.
“What we recommend really is for our clients to seek intensive counseling and medical intervention,” Zuasola said. “Through counseling, we give them information that will make them realize that they need to stop smoking,” he added.
Zuasola shared he and his team at the VSMMC Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) “dance with their patients” as they do not impose what and when to do things to their patients.
“We promote behavioral changes to them, we assess the environment they’re in, study the behavioral effects of tobacco to them and the habits they have developed after they became smokers,” Zuasola said.
He also said World Health Organization (WHO) and DOH’s negative packaging campaign has helped their advocacy as these graphical images of tobacco’s ill-effects alarm users, especially the youth.
The TCC also does not endorse e-cigarettes or vapes as harm reduction mechanism.
Zuasola stressed it is not considered as “lesser evil” as the liquid chemical in it can harm one’s thyroid and heart, and may even make its users addicted to the substance.
Since the re-establishment of VSMMC-TTC earlier in February, Zuasola said they have witnessed success stories of those who availed of their counseling and intervention.
“We have high abstinence rate amongst our clients, who are mostly students and are heavy smokers,” Zuasola shared.
TTC’s doors are open to appointments for intensive counseling and intervention every Thursdays and Fridays at VSMMC. (By Jan Karla Madrio)
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