By: The Honourable Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, M.P.

ONE of the most harmful human actions is smoking. Tobacco smoke is extremely dangerous to human beings when inhaled. Note that smoking tobacco is one of the primary causes of a number of debilitating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) within the world, some of which have fatal consequences. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the term non-communicable disease (or NCD as it is often referred to the medical field), NCDs are also known as chronic diseases that are not passed from person to person. They are of long duration and generally slow progression.

The four main types of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. Therefore, it is imperative that the Ministry of Public Health in addressing the prevalence of NCDs in Guyana, implements stringent anti-smoking mechanisms in a sustainable manner that can help save many Guyanese lives.

Tobacco use and Non-Communicable Diseases
By 2030, NCDs will account for 75 percent of deaths, globally.

NCDs are not predominantly diseases of the affluent world as some are misguidedly led to believe, but rather 80 percent of NCDs occur in low and middle-income countries such as Guyana. Tobacco use is the single greatest preventable cause of NCDs.

One of the astonishing things about tobacco is the number and variety of fatal and disabling diseases and conditions it causes. For example:

* Tobacco causes at least 16 different types of cancer. It is most closely associated with lung cancer, the world’s leading cause of cancer deaths. Lung cancer accounts for nearly one in five cancer deaths. Tobacco use is known to cause several cancers of the throat and oral cavity, as well as cancer in diverse sites, such as the bladder, kidney, stomach, and uterine cervix.

* Smokeless tobacco causes oral and other cancers, hypertension, and heart disease.

* Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by two to four times.

* Smoking causes chronic lung diseases that can be severely disabling or fatal, increasing the risk of death 12 times.

* Smoking is an independent risk factor for diabetes. Diabetics who smoke have an increased risk of death and of complications associated with diabetes, such as amputations and problems with vision.

* Smoking during pregnancy is associated with a number of conditions that are hazardous to the health of both mother and child, including ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, pre-term delivery, low birth rate, and sudden infant death syndrome.

* Women who smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes and increase the risk of their child developing diabetes later in life.
Tobacco use is the number one risk factor common to the main groups of NCDs.

Accelerated implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an essential way to tackle NCDs and save lives. In Guyana, we have passed our very own Tobacco Control Bill 2017. This Bill is a vital and life-saving piece of legislation that will most certainly preserve and save the lives of many of our Guyanese brothers and sisters. However, persons must play a more direct role in reducing their tobacco use. Essential to the reduction of tobacco use is behavioural change.

Quitting Smoking: A personal decision
While having tobacco legislation in place works well for tobacco control in an overarching way, persons however must make a conscious decision not to smoke. Here are a few pointers that can help you who may be struggling to quit smoking.

Start your quit-smoking plan with this START guide

S = Set a quit date.
Choose a date within the next two weeks when you will begin to commence a smoke-free life, so you can have enough time to prepare without losing your motivation to quit. If you mainly smoke at work, quit on the weekend, so you have a few days to adjust to the change. Remember quitting must be done incrementally in a consistent manner for it to be effective.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.
Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy or sister who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you may face while quitting.
The literature states that most people who begin smoking again do so within the first three months of attempting to quit. You can help yourself make it through by preparing ahead for common challenges, such as nicotine withdrawal and cigarette cravings. Write down how you plan to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and stick to your plan.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
Throw away all of your cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and matches. Wash your clothes and freshen up anything that smells like cigarette smoke. Clean your car (steam-clean the inside), clean your drapes and carpet, and clean your furniture. Try to avoid visiting places where persons are allowed to smoke.

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
Your doctor can prescribe medication to help with withdrawal symptoms. If you cannot see a doctor, you can get many products over the counter at your local pharmacy, including nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum. It is advisable though that you see a doctor to help you.

Smoking tobacco is both a physical addiction as well as a psychological habit. The nicotine from cigarettes provides a temporary but very addictive high. Eliminating that regular fix of nicotine causes your body to experience physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Because of nicotine’s “feel good” effect on the brain, many persons smoke as a way of coping with stress, depression, anxiety, or even boredom. Quitting means finding different, healthier ways to cope with those feelings.

Smoking is also ingrained as a daily ritual. It may be an automatic response for you to smoke a cigarette with your morning coffee, while taking a break at work or school, or on your commute home at the end of a hectic day. Or, maybe your friends, family, or colleagues smoke, and it has become part of the way you relate with them. These are some of the ways that smoking becomes embedded in your lives. Removing this habit takes unswerving effort and personal commitment.

To successfully stop smoking, you will need to address both the addiction and the habits and routines that go along with it. But it can be done. With the right support and quit plan, any smoker can kick the addiction, permanently – even if you have tried and failed multiple times before. Continue trying to quit. Never stop trying to quit smoking, because SMOKING KILLS!