Department of Health revs up smoking cessation program

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) is beefing up its smoking cessation program, an official said yesterday.

Precy Cuevas, chief health information officer at the DOH’s Dangerous Disease Office, said the DOH had long ago set up smoking cessation clinics in state-run hospitals and regional medical centers but smokers going there for help were few and far between.

“The environment is not supportive for them to quit. Unlike now there are many policies and ordinances that say you cannot smoke here and there,” she said.

The DOH is coordinating with local government units for the establishment of smoking cessation clinics in strategic localities across the country.  The idea is to have one clinic in each city or town.

“What we wanted to do is for all our health workers to (dispense) brief advice (about the menace of smoking)… In barangay health stations, it is routine (practice) for them to make risk assessment of people and we want tobacco use to be included in it,” Cuevas said.

Those who need more intensive support to be able to quit will be referred to the smoking cessation clinics, she added.

Citing the 2009 Philippines’ Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Cuevas said there are around 17.3 million Filipinos aged 15 years old and above who smoke, and 60 percent of them are interested in giving up the habit.

Cuevas added that since the nicotine content of cigarettes is addictive, many smokers might need professional help to be able to quit.

Nicotine affects the blood pressure and oxygen level in the body, causing the release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that gives pleasurable feelings and since it is triggered by nicotine, it relies on this toxic substance to achieve the desired sensation, thus, the addiction, she said.

Aside from nicotine, there are other toxic chemicals in cigarettes, Cuevas said. These include butane (found in lighters); cadmium (batteries); stearic acid (candle wax); toluene (industrial solvents); ammonia (toilet cleaners); paint; methanol (rocket fuel); carbon monoxide; arsenic (a poison); methane (sewer gas); acetic acid (vinegar) and hexamine (barbeque lighter).