Health Promotion Administration (HPA) officials yesterday reminded the public of the dangers of smoking, citing 27,000 smoking-related deaths annually in the nation and the 5 percent rate of success of people who attempt to quit the habit.
Studies have found that a large number of lung and cardiovascular diseases are attributable to smoking, and these conditions are often deadly, Health Education and Tobacco Control Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said.
On average one person dies of a smoking-related illness every 20 minutes, she said, adding that many smokers fail to quit the habit because they use ineffective methods.
The agency in 2003 set up the Taiwan Smokers’ Helpline, a toll-free phone counseling service (0800-636-363) that helps people who want to quit smoking.
Employees have successfully helped 56,000 people through the service over its 15 years in operation, the agency said, adding that 40 percent of those who had used the service were still smoke-free six months after quitting.
This rate is eight times higher than the success rate of people who try to quit smoking on their own, the HPA said.
The helpline’s success helped the National Health Insurance save about NT$306 million (US$10.1 million) on medical expenditures, the agency added.
Su Ting-chin (蘇庭進), a helpline official, said some people are worried that they will get fat or become sick if they quit smoking.
Such side effects are temporary symptoms of nicotine withdrawal syndrome, which many people will experience after quitting, Su said.
Symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, difficulty concentrating, depression, irritability and weight gain, and begin within three days of quitting smoking, Su said, adding that these are the reasons many people fail to stop smoking when they attempt to do so on their own.
Symptoms become milder after about a month, Su said, adding that their severity can be reduced through medication.
The HPA urged tobacco smokers to protect themselves from smoking-related diseases by calling the helpline, which provides free one-on-one consulting sessions and customized smoking cessation plans.
Counselors regularly check up with people by telephone and through messages to help them through the process, they said.
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