Members from Luyang Health Clinic who have successfully kicked the bad habit.
KOTA KINABALU: The Health Ministry has introduced a service to help smokers quit the habit at 30 district health clinics in Sabah.
In the city, four clinics are offering the services. These are Luyang Health Clinic, Menggatal Health Clinic, Inanam Health Clinic and Telipok Health Clinic.
Counseling and free medical treatments such as the provision of nicotine replacement and T. Varenicline are given to those who take part in the programme.
Sabah Health Department Non Contagious Disease Control Unit senior assistant head director Dr Nirmal Kaur, during the Kota Kinabalu District Health Department’s ‘Day without tobacco 2013’ event held at Luyang Health Clinic, near here yesterday, said since the service was started at the public health facilities, only 431 people took part in the programme.
And of the total, only 114 people or 26.45 per cent have succeeded in beating the habit, she said.
At national level, more than 10,000 deaths that occurred in the country were due to smoking habit, she said.
“Basing on the national health survey ‘Global Adult Tobacco Survey’ in 2011, there are four million smokers in Malaysia. Hence, comprehensive steps have been implemented by the Health Ministry to address the problem,” she said.
Among the adopted measures are the amendment to the Tobacco Control Regulations, which includes the prohibition of all cigarette sales promotions, the prohibition of sponsorship of programmes (community and sports events) by tobacco companies and the enlargement of the warning notice on cigarette packaging.
Aside from that, the ministry has also reduced the tar and nicotine contents in each cigarette.
She warned that smoke emitted from cigarettes was poisonous and that smoking increased the risk of coronary heart disease, chronic breathing diseases, hypertension, lung cancer, mouth cancer and so on.
She also explained that passive smokers (people who are exposed to cigarette smoke) were worse off than smokers as they are exposed to 4,000 types of poisons.
To address issues related to passive smokers, the Health Ministry has decided to launch its Blue Ribbon Campaign earlier this year to uphold the rights of passive smokers.
The step is in line with the government’s decision to create 100 per cent smoke-free environment through the initiatives of members of the public and organizations.
Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu Health Office health officer Dr Suhaila said at Luyang Health Clinic, a total of 44 people out of 90 who had participated in the programme in 2011 had stopped smoking, while last year, a total of 106 people took part in the programme where 44 managed to beat the habit.
“We’re hoping that this year, the attainment of our clients who want to stop smoking will be better,” she said.
Yesterday, 30 people who successfully stopped smoking were presented with a certificate for their achievements.
A short presentation on the dangers of smoking showed during the event indicated how difficult it was for smokers to stop smoking and that most times, a smoker would have to quit smoking six to seven times before they were successful.
It also showed that every six second, a life is lost due to smoking.