“Out of the nearly 1,200 new visitors in 2017 to the centre, 35% have quit smoking completely while others need more follow up. This is higher than the international rate which is about 30%,” Dr Jamal Abdullah, smoking cessation specialist at Tobacco Control Center told Gulf Times.
“Among the smokers who visit the centre, only about 15% are female. There are also some school students who are brought to the centre by their parents. We provide medication as well as psychological and behavioural therapy. Those under 15 years are not given medication but only therapy,” explained Dr Abdullah.
“When we say people quit smoking, they stop smoking for a minimum of four to six months. If they begin smoking after that, they are considered new smokers. If the person smokes after six months, it is not due to the addiction of the previous habit but due to other circumstances,” the physician continued.
A visitor may need, depending on the severity of the addiction, three to four visits to complete the process of smoking cessation. “The addiction particles can remain in the brain for three to six months. The medications must be taken for minimum three months and should not be stopped even if the person quits smoking from day one of the treatment. If some people cannot quit smoking after their first visit, some minimise smoking but cannot stop it completely. So the number of visits varies from person to person,” noted the physician.
The official said that about 20 to 30 new visitors come to the centre daily and another 20 for follow up cases. He maintained that smoking is far more addictive than heroin and cocaine.
“After a few days of smoking, people get addicted and it is difficult for them to stop smoking. But, anyone can stop smoking through the use of some medication, therapies and through health education. Behavioural changes are very important to make a person quit smoking. Medication has to be taken for three months," he described.
Dr Abdullah said that at the Tobacco Control Center, details of the visitor, the history of smoking as well as the type of tobacco used by the patient are collected. “Then, they are sent to the assessment room for various measurements. At the cessation clinic, all the data are analysed and accordingly, we can measure the severity of the addiction. We measure the amount of carbon monoxide in the body and use the spirometer for measuring lung capacity and age,” he noted.
“The smoker himself can see after the tests how the lung has degenerated through the use of tobacco. During the next visit, the visitor can see the improvements if they have already stopped smoking. We prescribe them medicine which is very expensive. But it is free for the nationals and the residents need to pay a nominal cost,” added the official.
Smoking is far more addictive than heroin and cocaine, says Dr Jamal Abdullah
Qatar has achieved a higher rate of smoking cessation than the international average, a senior official of the Tobacco Control Center under Hamad Medical Corporation has disclosed.
