International Day for smoking cessation

The main purpose of this event - to attract people's attention to the enormous damage that tobacco causes to health, bring to the fight against smoking physicians of all specialties, carry out preventive and educational measures. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year tobacco causes nearly 6 million deaths, of which over 5 million cases occur among former users and consumer of tobacco, and more than 600 000 - among people who do not smoke, but are passively exposed to tobacco smoke. Unless urgent measures are taken, the number of annual deaths by 2030 may exceed eight million.

In the Zaporozhye region in a joint project of the Ministry of Health and the World Bank is implemented a regional sub-project "Improving medical care to patients with diseases of the circulatory system." Since smoking causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which include hypertension, coronary heart disease and lung cancer, much attention in the sub-project implementation is given to the fight against smoking.

According to Dr. Donhbo Fu expert Initiative WHO Tobacco Free, only 3-5% of smokers can quit on their own, just after the decision. Most smokers still need help to stop smoking, so doctors must maintain their motivation and their confidence. Basic services help smokers quit -It short consulted doctors at primary health care, more in-depth expert advice on quitting smoking, special Internet resources and applications for smart phones, SMS-mailing and e-mails, "hot" telephone line , media campaigns and so on. In Ukraine at the level of primary health care should be given advice on quitting smoking, though not all doctors are able to consult on this issue and really do it. That is why, as part of the sub-project in the Zaporozhye region in the 2016-17. For primary care physicians of health care will be conducted training seminars on the basics of communication skills with patients and non-legislative motivational counseling on healthy lifestyle and getting rid of bad habits.