Want to quit smoking? WHO recommended treatments for smokers – National

of who They have published the “first ever” clinical treatment guidelines for people who want to quit smoking. tobacco Use – This is It's on the decline in Canada and around the world.

The recommendations issued on Tuesday It is for any adult who wants to quit using any type of tobacco product, including cigarettes, waterpipes and smokeless tobacco. Tobacco productsThe guidelines for cigars, roll-your-own cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are designed for use by health care professionals.

The agency recommends a range of clinical interventions, from behavioral supports and medication to digital strategies.

“These guidelines mark an important milestone in the global fight against these dangerous products,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In a statement.

“This treaty provides countries with an important tool to effectively support individuals who quit smoking and reduce the global burden of tobacco-related diseases.”

WHO Previously addressed measures The aim is to help countries support smoking cessation and tobacco dependence treatment, but the new guidelines build on that work and other health recommendations the agency has made over the years.

“This is the first time these formal clinical guidelines have been made available internationally, but there have been many before,” Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, said in an interview with Global News on Tuesday.

“These guidelines provide recommendations that can be implemented in every province across Canada to strengthen smoking cessation efforts. The more we can do to quit smoking, the greater the impact we will have in reducing the devastating health burden that smoking causes.”

The WHO estimates that more than 60 percent of the world's smokers – around 750 million people – would like to quit.

For smokers who are interested in quitting, the WHO strongly recommends varenicline, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, and cytisine as effective treatments.

For smokeless tobacco users who wish to quit, varenicline and NRT are recommended.

The agency urged countries to provide these treatments free or at low cost to improve access, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO says behavioral support should also be combined with pharmacotherapy, such as brief advice of 30 seconds to three minutes provided regularly by health professionals and a range of counselling options offered to all smokers interested in quitting.

As a supplementary measure, digital interventions can also be used through text messages, smartphone apps, artificial intelligence and internet programs.

Cunningham said digital technology “may be particularly beneficial for younger people who are more tech-savvy.”

He noted that given the potential risks associated with e-cigarette products, the WHO does not recommend them as a smoking cessation strategy.

Most e-cigarettes and vaping products contain nicotine, a stimulant found in tobacco.

Health Canada warns Vaping nicotine can “lead to physical dependence and addiction” and expose people to chemicals that “may be harmful to their health.”

The agency advises that young people and people who don't use tobacco products not use e-cigarettes.

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Cunningham said that in addition to clinical measures, policy interventions such as tobacco taxes and subsidies for nicotine replacement products could be effective in curbing tobacco use.

“What Canada needs is a comprehensive set of measures to help people quit smoking,” he said.

last year, Canada was the first country It was the first country in the world to require warning labels on each individual cigarette.

Health Canada Goals were set The goal is to reduce the smoking rate in Japan to below 5% by 2035.

According to the WHO, an estimated 8 million people die each year as a result of tobacco use.

Overall, tobacco use is on the decline in Canada and around the world.

A WHO report released in January It is estimated that about 1.25 billion people aged 15 and over, or one in five people on the planet, will smoke tobacco in 2022. This is down from 1.36 billion in 2000, or one in three people on the planet.

In Canada, approximately 11.4% of people aged 15 and over smoked tobacco in 2022, or 3.7 million people.

That's down from 18.8 per cent in that age group in 2010. The World Health Organization predicts smoking rates in Canada will fall by 44 per cent next year compared to 2010.

“It is difficult to overstate the enormous challenges people face when trying to quit smoking,” Rüdiger Krech, WHO's director for health promotion, said in a statement.

“We need to deeply acknowledge the strength it takes to overcome this addiction and the suffering these individuals and their loved ones have endured.”

In another report published in May,The WHO warned that the global tobacco industry is “aggressively” targeting young people around the world using “sophisticated” tactics to encourage them to take up smoking, and called for a ban on the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to minors.

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