Health ministry rolls out therapy to help people quit smoking tobacco products

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 May 2024, 23:57 by Writer

The Ministry of Health’s Chronic Disease Unit on Wednesday handed over a quantity of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) supplies to the Eccles Health Centre to support smoking cessation efforts.

This initiative was done in observance of World No Tobacco Day which will be observed on May 31st, and aims to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and harmful use of tobacco products.

The Eccles Health Centre, located on the East Bank Corridors is the first facility to receive these supplies as part of the health ministry’s treatment programme.

Last year in observance of World No Tobacco Day, a Tobacco Cessation Clinic was launched at the Industry Health Centre, East Coast Demerara as a measure to help tobacco users quit smoking. This initiative was later rolled out at nine other health facilities. These clinics are located at health centres in Craig, Grove, Buxton, East La Penitence, Lodge, Festival City, Industry, Enmore and Kitty.

Through the clinic, healthcare workers will use the 5 As strategy – Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange – to encourage patients to quit smoking. As such, it will see them asking the patients about tobacco use at every visit and recording their status followed by the patient’s commitment to quit within 30 days from the first initial visit.

At the clinics, advice will be provided and personalised in a manner for every tobacco user to stop using tobacco and non-tobacco users to remain tobacco-free while assisting and helping all tobacco users to stop based on their willingness.

With Eccles Health Centre now being added to the collection, the NRT will be a new addition to the Tobacco Cessation Clinics and it will see tobacco users gradually reducing their nicotine dependence, making it easier to quit smoking and improve overall health. The nine other health centres are expected to have this addition within a month.

In her remarks, Technical Officer for Tobacco Dr Shelieza Gopie noted that with the NRT, instead of smoking, tobacco users will be given nicotine lozenges, which are like little candies that dissolve in the mouth. She added that they come in different flavours and help to reduce the cravings for cigarettes without exposing users to harmful (toxic) chemicals.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Non-Communicable Disease Programme, Dr Lachmie Lall stated that this move is part of the Pan American Health Organisation package to achieve tobacco control and reduce smoking rates in Guyana.

Also present at the handover ceremony were Chronic Disease Unit Coordinator Dr. Dianele Drepaul and Acting Doctor in Charge Dr. Michelle Singh-Sarran.

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