Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shi-chung, a 50-year veteran smoker, made a big move this year by announcing that he would participate in the "Quit and Win" contest organized by the National Health Administration (NHA) and the Tung Foundation, but in the end, he still failed to quit smoking. Lin Ching-Li, director of the Tobacco Prevention Center of the Tung Foundation, revealed that the minister had little confidence in quitting smoking at first, and that he relied on his willpower to quit smoking, which was "too cruel to himself.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, etc. And at least 22% of cancers are caused by smoking, and smokers are more likely to become seriously ill when infected with the new coronavirus. In addition to one's own willpower, professional assistance is also very important in quitting smoking. The success rate of quitting smoking without medication or counseling is only 5% to 10%, while the success rate of quitting smoking with professional assistance can reach 30%.
In addition to one's own willpower to quit smoking, professional assistance is also very important. For information on smoking cessation services, you can click on the website of the National Health Service (NHS), where you can utilize the Nicotine Addiction Scale to assess your own addiction status, and based on the scores from the assessment, you can further seek appropriate assistance in quitting smoking.
People who want to quit smoking can receive cessation services at nearly 3,500 cessation contract medical institutions (hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies) in 22 counties and cities throughout Taiwan. A list of cessation service organizations can be found on the National Health Service's commissioned Cessation Treatment and Management website, or by calling the Cessation Treatment and Management Window (Tel: 02-2351-0120).
If it is not convenient to go out during the epidemic, you can also make use of the toll-free quitline 0800-636363, or use the Line communication software (ID: @tsh0800636363) to break the constraints of time and space, and provide the most immediate assistance to quitters. No matter where you are in the world, there are professionals to provide you with convenient and confidential counseling services, as well as customized smoking cessation strategies and methods to help overcome nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the discomfort of quitting smoking, depending on your situation.
Nicotine Addiction Scale
https://health99.hpa.gov.tw/onlineQuiz/smoking
List of Tobacco Cessation Service Organizations
https://www.hpa.gov.tw/Pages/Detail.aspx?nodeid=1812&pid=10192
In order to encourage smokers to quit smoking and to reduce the financial burden on smokers who quit smoking, starting May 15, 2021, all smokers who receive smoking cessation medication services will be exempted from the partial payment of smoking cessation medication, regardless of the target group. It is hoped that the exemption from the partial payment of the medication will increase the incentives for smokers to quit smoking.
In order to help more smokers quit smoking, the Tobacco Health Benefit donates money to help people receive smoking cessation medication. People can receive smoking cessation services at medical institutions or pharmacies under contract with the NHS, and if they are assessed by a doctor or pharmacist to receive smoking cessation medication, the partial burden for each medication use is capped at NT$200. According to statistics, in the past three years, an average of 93,868 people received smoking cessation medication each year, and if we estimate that each person can receive smoking cessation medication for a maximum of 16 weeks per year, ex-smokers can reduce their expenses by approximately NT$1,200 per year.
In response to the huge demand for cessation behind this smoking population, several cessation service channels are currently available in Taiwan: cessation hotlines and counselors, and outpatient cessation, which, while effective, face different implementation limitations. The best way to help more smokers decide to quit is to develop a far-reaching online cessation service. The Tung Foundation has created the Chinese Quit Smoking Network to serve Chinese-speaking people worldwide by providing a platform for smoking information and assistance in quitting smoking. Anyone who is interested in smoking cessation information can log on anytime, anywhere, and get the right help and support to quit smoking without having the process of quitting interfered with due to national boundaries, geography, or work; and for non-smokers and those who have been exposed to the harms of secondhand smoke, the Network provides information about secondhand smoke to help family members and friends. For non-smokers and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke, this website also provides information on secondhand smoke to help family members and close friends to start quitting and become fully smoke-free.
Tung's Chinese Quit Smoking
https://www.e-quit.org/index.aspx
Smoking is actually a "chronic addictive disease". To successfully quit smoking, you need to eliminate nicotine addiction, psychological dependence and habits. When the body lacks nicotine, smokers will feel uncomfortable and need to replenish nicotine in order to improve their condition. When experiencing an addiction to cigarettes, the following steps are designed to help smokers relieve their addiction to cigarettes.
1. 15 deep breaths: Inhale deeply and exhale slowly.
2. Drink a glass of cold water: moisturizes the throat and suppresses the desire to smoke.
3, hard to stretch: do expand the chest clenched fist or in situ jump yao can also.
4. Brush your teeth or wash your face: Refresh yourself and your spirit.
If you have any questions about the above information, please contact the above organizations. Or leave a message with us at Sunyu Academy and we will try our best to answer your questions.
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Freedom Health Network
