KARACHI, April 8: Speakers at a smoking cessation workshop called upon healthcare professionals especially doctors to play their role in helping people quit smoking, a major cause of lung and oral cancer in Pakistan.
The smoking cessation skills building workshop for health professionals was organized by the Pakistan Chest Society (PCS) – Sindh Chapter in collaboration with the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) and the Aga Khan University on Friday at the LNH.
The head, Department of Pulmonology, LNH, Dr Mosavir Ansari, in his introductory remarks highlighted the diseases caused by smoking habits. “Quitting smoking is a single most cost-effective preventive measure and each of us has to fight against tobacco,” he emphasized.
Earlier, the Medical Director of LNH, Dr Salman Faridi, in his welcome address offered full support for continuing medical education (CME) programmes.
Dr Ayesha Qureishy of the LNH said a smoker underwent psychological and biological changes, forcing him/her to continue smoking habits. It is a mixture of addiction that should be stopped, she added.
Talking about factors influencing relapse rates, she said they were stress and negative emotional states, urges and cravings from cue and triggers, withdrawal symptoms, weight gain, etc.
The predictors of successful quitting of smoking include several prior attempts to quit, confidence in the ability to quit and a good support system from spouse, family members or friends, she added.
“The psychological characteristics that predict failure in quitting are sadness, anxiety, low self esteem and anger. Nicotine and antidepressant agents have similar effect in alteration of central catecholamine release,” she said.
Dr Javaid Khan of the Aga Khan University said without complete participation of healthcare professionals, especially doctors, the trend of smoking cannot be reversed, since 25 to 30 per cent of doctors and medical students themselves smoke, which destroyed all efforts towards quitting smoking.
“It is a very serious issue and we all have to address it and realize our responsibility accordingly. There is a need for strong public awareness and also implementation of the existing laws. Almost 120 brands of various kinds of pan, gutka, supari, chalia are available in Pakistan, he told.
“Most cancer cases due to smoking and use of tobacco can be prevented. At present five million people are dying worldwide from tobacco, while this figure will increase to 10 million in 2025. There is criminal silence on the part of health professionals to stop this increase,” he added.
He said over 50 per cent of the Pakistani population was addictive to some type of tobacco.
Dr Mohammad Hussain of the LNH talked on benefits of quitting smoking, saying the goals of tobacco cessation were to prevent the development of disease and to alleviate/reduce its progression.
Discussing the effects of cessation on reproductive health, he said for women, who stopped smoking before pregnancy, there were no adverse effects of smoking on infants, while those who smoked had some prevalence of erectile dysfunction (impotence).
“It is never too late to stop smoking. It is the most cost-effective intervention a physician can provide, whereas avoiding smoking is truly Islamic,” he concluded.
Dr Mir Saleem delivered a presentation on the role of health professionals in quitting smoking.—PPI
