Daily Times

Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) has established a smoking cessation clinic intending to help people who are addicted to cigarettes.

“The clinic has been established at the OPD (Outdoor Patient Department) and services are provided from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. on every Monday”, informed Dr. Ehtesham of the Pulmonology department of LRH.

He said the consultation meeting on the draft action plan proposed legislative reforms regarding e-cigarettes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He apprised participants that the smoking cessation clinic is in its initial phase and focusing on staff members of the hospital. He said the smokers are treated with two separate medicines, depending on the level and addiction to nicotine besides judging withdrawal severity.

Dr. Ehtesham said number of smokers in Pakistan constitutes about 23 percent of the population. According to World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 there were around 24 million smokers in the country, however the number has surged to 27 million, he added. Chairing the meeting, Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Majid appreciated the efforts of the hospital management, staff and praised the idea of center.

The participants of the meeting stressed the awareness about hazards of smoking, especially the modern mode of addiction including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and sheesha. The participants also suggested holding seminars in educational institutions to sensitize the students. It was suggested that anti-smoking messages be displayed as graffiti on the backs of rickshaws, buses, bus stops, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations.