Who is it for – How will the registrations be made?
Scientific assistance aimed at smoking cessationthrough the operation of specialized clinics, will be provided free of charge by Tuesday, September 13 to all Athenians. This is another important program that is included in the basic services of the city’s municipal clinics, in the context of the memorandum of cooperation between the Municipality of Athens and the Hellenic Pulmonary Society.
Following last year’s successful pilot operation of smoking cessation programs, the Municipality of Athens is responding in a substantial way to address this extremely serious public health problem which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), constitutes a disease – with the smoker need special treatment to get rid of it.
In his statement, Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, stresses: “I was a smoker and I know how difficult the task of quitting is, but also how effectively one can, with the guidance of experts, put an end to this addiction. I trusted the scientific leaders of our program in the pilot phase and the personal goal was achieved. The prompt is for everyone. With the establishment of the Smoking Cessation Clinic in the municipal clinics of the city, through our collaboration with the Pulmonology Unit of the Athens Medical School, we aim to help hundreds of people who are ill in a meaningful way, to stop smoking and make a new start in their lives . At the same time, with actions like this, we will continue to upgrade the services of our Municipal clinics and strengthen the health sector”.
The Clinic is aimed at smokers of any age and any tobacco product, who are either trying to quit smoking for the first time, have tried on their own and failed, or even if they quit, have subsequently relapsed. The program requires the active participation of the smoker.
The person in charge Deputy Mayor of Public Health and Municipal Clinics, Manolis Kalambokasstated: “The purpose of the Clinic is to help smokers who wish to quit smoking to achieve it in an easy and safe way, but also to mobilize those who are not yet ready, so that in a second year they can succeed and proceed to the definitive cessation. It is never too late to quit smoking. The sooner it is stopped, the more the chances of him suffering from serious diseases in the future are reduced.”
The methodology
The Clinic will operate at the 6th Multipurpose Center – Municipal Clinic (Chania 4B, in Kypseli) through 4 weekly group sessions, during which:
Smokers will be informed in detail about the effects of smoking, as well as the benefits they will get after quitting.
- A preventive medical check of the cardiorespiratory function will be carried out.
- International smoking cessation guidelines will be implemented through regular group sessions and counseling.
- After smoking cessation, ex-smokers will be supported to avoid possible relapses.
Those interested can call for information and submit their participation applications on the phone: 210 2015510 (ext. 119 – 120), from 9 am to 2 pm, daily.
The service is provided to residents/citizens of the Municipality of Athens and priority order will be observed.
Smoking Cessation Clinics contribute substantially to the success of the goal
According to the scientists, quitting smoking is particularly difficult when it is done solely by individual effort and the success rates noted are low, even when there is a medical reason to stop. This difficulty highlights the intense psychological and physical dependence caused by cigarettes, with the consequence that not only a very strong will is required, but also specialized medical help to achieve detoxification.
At the same time, it is a common finding that quit success rates increase significantly in Smoking Cessation Clinics. This has also been proven by their pilot operation in the Pneumology and Respiratory Failure Unit of the 1st Intensive Care Clinic of the Medical School of the University of Athens at the Evangelismos Hospital – with Professor Paraskevi Katsaounou in charge – which are a guide for the implementation of the action in Primary Schools as well Clinic of the Municipality of Athens.
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