No-smoking advocates are asking healthcare providers to butt in to help their patients to butt out.
The New York State Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Program Cessation Networks released print and internet ads urging healthcare providers to assist their patients who smoke into making quitting a top priority. Tobacco addiction is the leading preventable cause of death in New Yorkers approximating 25,500 deaths every year.
Dr. Margaret Kemeny, director of the cancer center of Queens Hospital Center (QHC), is encouraging healthcare providers to treat smoking as a disease in order to aid patients in starting a positive change.
“Healthcare providers are in a position to significantly help smokers if they themselves will commit to a positive change – if they’ll commit to treating smoking as a disease,” said Kemeny. “Currently, only 54 percent of New York State’s physicians assist patients with smoking cessation, so there’s plenty of room for improvement.”
Two-thirds of New York smokers have visited a healthcare provider in the past. With the assistance from a professional, patient’s success rates can increase by 30 percent. For this to occur, healthcare professionals must make the commitment to stand by their patients to help effectively quit smoking.
“Physicians should take every opportunity to help their patients quit smoking,” said Kemeny. “Doctors need to regard treating smokers for their tobacco use as important as treating patients for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension.”
The QHC’s ad “Smoking Is A Disease” is aimed at directing clinicians to the “Don’t Be Silent About Smoking” web site www.talktoyourpatients.org. The site offers information and resources to help healthcare providers effectively assist their patients who smoke by going beyond the first time quitters and patients who have previously relapsed.
Queens Hospital Center’s anti-smoking campaign made its way to The Queens Courier when Helene Benjamin, a representative from the Cessation Center, gave the staff tips on quitting and counseled them on the dangers of smoking.
For information about quitting smoking, please call the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at 866-697-8487 or visit the Smokers’ Quitsite at www.nysmokefree.com. The Queens Hospital Center Smoking Cessation Program can also be contacted at 718-883-4208 for further information.
