Professionals urged to promote smoke-free life

Many countries will follow Malta's lead and implement smoking bans in public places, the organisers of the Help For A Life Without Tobacco campaign, an EU initiative, said.

Countries around the globe will tomorrow mark World No Tobacco Day, which this year will focus on the role of professionals in tobacco control.

"Health professionals can intervene at many levels," the campaign promoters said. The €72 million anti-smoking campaign, which will span over four years, focuses on smoking prevention, giving up and the dangers of passive smoking.

The organisers said that at an individual level, health professionals can educate the population about the harms of tobacco use and how to overcome addiction. At a community level they can initiate and support efforts to promote smoke-free work places and extend the availability of resources aimed at helping those who wish to stop smoking.

Health professionals can add their voice and weight to national and global tobacco control efforts, lobby for taxation measures and anti-smoking legislation as well as promote initiatives against tobacco, the promoters added.

"Health professionals should be the example that a healthy society reflects upon. Organisations of health professionals can show leadership and become role models for other professional organisations and society," the organisers said.

They said that by promoting smoke-free workplaces and a smoke-free culture, health professionals should set an example for their patients to follow.

A total of 1.3 billion people all over the globe smoke and 4.9 million people die from tobacco use every year.

"Half of all current tobacco users will eventually die from tobacco-related illness," the campaign promoters said.