Joining the TMC’s Program for Smoking Cessation

Raising awareness of smoking cessation programs in the Philippines is critical to the health of our society. As it is, tobacco continues to be a significant health concern in the country, affecting 321 Filipinos daily due to its links to a multitude of health problems. By participating in smoking cessation programs, you’re contributing to the improvement of our country’s quality of life and decreasing tobacco-related health issues.

To help you break your smoking habits, this blog discusses the reasons to stop smoking and the benefits quitting can bring to your life. We go into how The Medical City’s smoking cessation program can help you stop your tobacco dependency and guide you through the process.

So, Why Should You Stop Smoking?

Tobacco smoking is one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths worldwide. It affects both smokers and non-smokers because of its prevalence, causing more than 8 million premature deaths per year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been proven that the risk of smoking can worsen your resistance to the disease. Due to your decreased lung capacity, you are likely more susceptible to COVID-19.

The negative effects of smoking on COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases are one of the main reasons you should quit this habit. It causes a majority of lung cancer deaths (90%) and deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (80%).

Other serious effects of smoking you should take note of are:

• It can cause Intrauterine Fetal Death.
• Your baby can suffer from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke up to 4 times.
• It increases your chances of developing other forms of cancer in different parts of the body.

Smoking can also negatively affect your hygiene, decreasing your quality of life on a daily basis.

• Bad odors: Smoking makes your breath, hair, clothes, and car stink––it can repel people from going near you.
• You can develop yellowed teeth and nicotine-stained fingertips and fingernails.
• The chances of wrinkles appearing in your physique can increase, especially around the mouth.

The reasons to quit smoking extend beyond personal health and well-being. Not only does smoking significantly increase your vulnerability to diseases like lung cancer, but it can also affect those around you. From the devastating consequences for newborns to the persistent odor and cosmetic concerns, smoking greatly diminishes your lifestyle.

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Once you’ve decided to quit smoking or started the process of quitting, there are multiple benefits you can expect that improve your life.

• In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and your pulse return to normal.
• In 8 hours, the levels of carbon monoxide (a toxin in tobacco products) and oxygen in your blood return to normal.
• In 24 hours, your risk of heart attack is lower.
• In 48 hours, your sense of smell and taste improves.
• In 2 weeks to 3 months, your circulation improves and your lung function increases by up to 10%. This gives you more energy for walking and other types of fitness activities.
• In 3 to 9 months, the coughing, sinus congestion, and shortness of breath diminish and you experience less fatigue.
• In 5 years, your risk of stroke is the same as that of a person who never smoked.
• In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer is reduced to half of what it was when you smoked. Plus, your risk of other types of cancer (such as oral cancer) also decreases.
• In 15 years, your risk of heart attack is the same as that of a person who never smoked.

Remember, the decision to quit smoking is powerful, and each passing second without cigarettes is a step toward a life filled with vitality. Your body and your quality of life will thank you for making the choice to quit.

The Medical City’s START ANEW Program

Here at TMC, we are committed to helping you effectively stop tobacco smoking. Our START ANEW (Smoking and Tobacco Addiction and Relapse Therapy for A Nicotine-Free Way of Life) Program aids you in becoming and staying smoke-free, making you better prepared to deal with significant lifestyle changes. Our program centers on education and motivation, providing you with individual counseling and psychosocial support groups to help you quit smoking and maintain a “non-smoking” status for life.

With START ANEW, you can explore your smoking habits and your other psychological and behavioral motivations behind smoking. A support group and designated physician can help you through the smoking cessation process, along with assistance through pharmacologic treatments.

Components of the TMC START ANEW Program

The program has a total of 5 sessions. After the initial assessment, there are regular follow-up visits for the whole year during the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months.

• Visit 1 is the assessment visit where you’re checked by a pulmonologist. Available laboratory results and workups are reviewed, an evaluated assessment of tobacco dependence is done, and a lecture on the power of tobacco addiction is given.
• Visit 2 involves a motivational interview, a behavioral assessment toward smoking cessation, and setting a quit date. Here, you partake in a lecture on the rewards of quitting tobacco.
• Visit 3 addresses the possible obstacles to smoking cessation. You’re given a step-wise therapy guide, medication treatment plan, and lecture on pharmacologic agents and nicotine withdrawal.
• Visit 4 focuses on the treatment effects, tapering medications, and coping with triggers. There’s a lecture on psychological behavioral modifications to help you with smoking cessation.
• Visit 5 is about relapse prevention. It assesses barriers to control, explains the risk of relapse, and tackles the management of slips.

Throughout the program, you have access to:

• Individualized Patient Assessment
• Motivational Patient Education and Counseling
• Supplementary Self-help Materials
• Behavioral Modification and Cognitive Therapy
• Assisted Pharmacologic Treatment
• Relaxation and Stress-Management Techniques

And by the end, there’s an assessment with a psychologist to know your progress with smoking cessation. In case you relapse or need more sessions, the program is equipped to help you.

So, How Can You Enroll in TMC’s START ANEW Program?

If you’re interested in joining START ANEW, you can visit your pulmonologist so they can refer you to the pulmonary laboratory of The Medical City for enrollment. You can also proceed to the pulmonary laboratory of the hospital on the 2nd floor for direct inquiries and sign-ups. There, you can avail of all the 5 sessions or choose which sessions you feel that you need at the moment.

For more information about our START ANEW Program, you can contact us or visit our Pulmonary Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center.