The dilemma of how to quit smoking | Chronic

The World Health Organization (WHO) and various international organizations celebrated World No Tobacco Day on May 31. This campaign is renewed each year to raise awareness of the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke and to discourage consumption in one of its forms.

What is tobacco?

They say that smoking is a pleasure. However, cigarettes are essentially tobacco leaves, which contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and affects the central nervous system.

Moreover, it is the main reason why consumption generates dependency. Among the more than 4,000 toxic products generated during combustion, there are some particularly dangerous: tars, responsible for types of cancer derived; carbon monoxide, which promotes cardiovascular disease; nicotine and those that cause irritation (ammonia and phenols) and respiratory complications (chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, etc.).

Stop smoking

According to the fourth National Risk Factor Survey (ENFR) conducted in 2018, the smoking rate in Argentina decreased from 25.1% to 22.2% between 2013 and 2018, reflecting an uninterrupted decrease in smoking in the last 10 years .

However, despite encouraging figures, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the country and the morbidity and mortality badociated with this risk factor continues to be among the highest in the region.

One of the most common mistakes is to think that it's time to stop smoking. In fact, it works as a justification for many smokers when they dare not try to quit.

The Argentinean Tobacco Association (ASAT) reports that a common strategy between medical advice and nicotine replacement therapy is an effective method to end this habit. However, the consultation index in the country is very low. Only 10% of Argentinian smokers turn to the doctor to stop smoking.

Expert Opinion

In this direction, Raúl Guillermo Espinosa, president of the Argentine Association of Tobacco (ASAT), explains that, to engage in an effective process, it is advisable to combine common strategies of professional health counseling and nicotine replacement therapy.

"The role of physicians is very important in motivating smokers and encouraging them to permanently quit smoking.The use of these two joint strategies increases the odds of smoking cessation by 40% compared to smoking." use of drugs alone, "he warns.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a proven and effective way to stop smoking, which relieves withdrawal symptoms during the cessation period, without incorporating the 7,000 toxic compounds in cigarettes.

For her part, Dr. Espinosa explains that NRTs can replace the missing nicotine, safely in terms of health, and provide a sense of relief from withdrawal symptoms so that the person can, in the first place, get rid of you smoke and, later, nicotine.

"The majority of patients who quit smoking without these strategies relapse in the first few weeks, precisely because of withdrawal symptoms. The use of nicotine substitutes in different formats, such as patches or chewing gum or l & # 39; Use of specific drugs, or up to three times the success rate of any smoking cessation intervention, but for this intervention to be truly effective, it is necessary to support a multidisciplinary medical team with ongoing care and a monitoring that addresses the problems of each smoker according to different approaches ", concluded the specialist.

By leaving this harmful habit, the positive effects are immediate and continue throughout life. It's only in the first 24 hours that blood pressure and heart rate return to normal and that carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body.

Important numbers

– In Argentina, 22% of the population is a smoker.
– 14 years is the average age at which people start to smoke.
– Only 10% of smokers ask for help to fight addiction.
– Of this percentage, only 2.5% consult a specialist doctor.
– There are 378 smoking cessation centers in the country that can be used to perform different types of treatment and receive advice on the proper use of nicotine replacement products or other medications.
– 268 of these centers are free.