|
 |
|
Source:
www.hpb.gov.sg |
|
Quitting is Hard. Not
Quitting is Harder |
|
National Smoking Campaign 07 to jolt smokers to
quit smoking |
|
|
A hard hitting quit smoking message is set
to hit television screens tonight. This is part of the Health Promotion
Board¡¯s (HPB) new campaign to jolt smokers to think seriously about
quitting smoking. |
|
From 20 March 07, HPB will be running a
3-month long smoking control campaign supported by mass media. |
|
This campaign is a follow through from
the revised graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging
introduced in November last year. |
|
The revised graphic health warnings
depict some of the many smoking related diseases and conditions
such as oral cancer, neck cancer, gangrene and a miscarriaged
foetus. |
|
However, the call to smokers to quit
does not only focus on the hard hitting consequences of smoking.
HPB will adopt a two-pronged approach, to jolt smokers to think
about quitting followed by positive motivation and support to help
smokers kick the habit. |
|
¡°1 in 2 smokers die from smoking
related diseases. We want to help smokers internalise their risk
and understand the dire consequences of smoking. At the same time,
because we know quitting is hard, we are offering them
encouragement and support to help them quit. Very often, many do
not quit smoking and go through long periods of suffering before
succumbing to smoking related diseases. The pain and consequences
of smoking are felt not only by the smokers but also by their
loved ones,¡± says Mr Lam Pin Woon, Chief Executive Officer, Health
Promotion Board. |
|
Phase 1 - Quitting is hard. Not
quitting is harder |
|
The first phase of the campaign will
start on 20 March 2007 until 30 April 2007 , with the theme,
¡°Quitting is hard. Not quitting is harder¡±. This will be conveyed
through intensive mass media using television, print and various
outdoor media. |
|
The mass media advertisement will
depict a female smoker with oral cancer to communicate the pain
and suffering of someone with a smoking-related disease. A novel
approach will also be adopted this year with a sick ¡®patient¡¯ on a
hospital bed stationed at strategic locations around Singapore
during 4 lunch time bursts between the month of Mar and Apr . |
|
Various collaterals will be
disseminated at strategic locations such as workplaces,
entertainment outlets and eating establishments. These include
posters with mock paper cigarette stub tear-outs containing tips
on how to quit smoking and HPB¡¯s QuitLine number, memo pads
resembling a cigarette pack with quit tips and the QuitLine
number. |
|
Healthcare establishments will display
A3 sized posters showing mouth cancer and tips to quit smoking,
within their premises. Doctors and pharmacists will offer a useful
¡®wheel¡¯ tool to help smokers identify their smoking habit and
offer personalised advice accordingly. |
|
Phase 2 Ready to quit? Give it a
Try! |
|
The second phase of the campaign will
commence in May 2007, culminating on World No Tobacco Day on 31
May 2007. This phase will feature success stories of ex-smokers,
to encourage smokers to quit the habit. |
|
With the theme ¡°Ready to quit? Give it
a try!¡± mass media efforts will publicise these testimonials
through various print and outdoor media, and on-ground marketing. |
|
HPB will organise a series of six
roadshows to provide smokers with an opportunity to respond to the
mass media messages and to receive free personalised quit smoking
consultation. |
|
These roadshows will revolve around
the theme ¡°Quit Fix¡±, akin to the ¡°do-it-yourself¡± concept, where
smokers will be offered convenient and effective solutions
incorporating self-management tools, Nicotine Replacement Therapy
and professional advice. The six roadshows will be held at five
strategic locations in the heartlands. |
|
Highlights at the roadshows include
free professional quit smoking advice offered by trained
pharmacists, supported by the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore,
health screening by SATA and attractive discounts on Nicorette by
Johnson & Johnson. |
|
Workplaces will also be encouraged to
support this campaign by organising tobacco control initiatives at
the workplace between March and June 2007. Companies will be given
educational materials to distribute to their staff. They can
choose to hold mini ¡°Quit Fix¡± roadshows and smoking awareness
talks. |
|
The key message for both phase 1 and
phase 2 of the Campaign is to urge smokers to seek professional
help to quit smoking. Smokers can either contact HPB's toll free
service (QuitLine 1800 438 2000) for quit advice and a
complementary Quit Kit, contact any of the 68 quit smoking
services, or their own family doctor for support. During the first
two weeks of the Campaign, HPB will extend QuitLine¡¯s operating
hours till 9pm on weekdays. |
|
Fact Sheets |
|
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) was first
observed in 1988, and has since been observed annually on 31 May.
WNTD is a global event to raise awareness on the impact of tobacco
use, promote a tobacco-free environment and reduce tobacco
dependence in individuals. |
|
WNTD aims to: |
- highlight the dangers of tobacco
use
- encourage people not to use
tobacco and
- motivate users to quit
|
|
Currently, approximately 1.3 billion
people around the world smoke. This includes manufactured
cigarettes as well as other forms of tobacco. |
|
Of these 1.3 billion smokers, nearly 5
million die every year as a result of tobacco-related illnesses.
This approximates 14,000 deaths per day. It is also predicted that
tobacco will be the leading cause of death and disability by the
year 2020. Tobacco is currently the second major cause of death in
the world. |
|
Tobacco contributes to approximately 7
deaths every day in Singapore . A 1994 report estimated that the
use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of U.S. $200
thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing
countries (Source: World Health Organisation). |
|
A local study by NUS shows that
healthcare, absenteeism and loss of productivity stemming from
smoking-related diseases cost the nation between $700 million and
$800 million in 1997. |
|
Approximately 90% of lung cancer
deaths are caused by tobacco use. Smoking is also a major risk
factor for heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), all of which rank among the major causes of deaths
in Singapore in 2002. |
|
Source:
www.hpb.gov.sg Press Release
20 Mar 2007 |
|
 |
|
Important
Notice |
|
Our FrontPage
Editions are a historical record of our Web site and reflect
the changing of the times, and also of our Web site through
time. We do not and will not update the links and stories on
these FrontPages even if they have become obsolete. |
|
FrontPage Edition: Thu 22 March 2007
All rights reserved
