COPING STRATEGIES FOR TOBACCO USE IN PRIMARY ATTENTION: EXPERIENCE REPORT

Tobacco smoke is extremely harmful to health and can cause numerous irreversible diseases. The Primary Health Care is configured as appropriate for the implementation of tobacco control actions, since its main characteristic is the promotion and protection of health. This study aims to present the experience of a smoking control group establishment in a Primary Health Unit, in Fortaleza, Ceará, and the difficulties encountered by professionals during the process. This is a descriptive report. The study population was composed by fifteen people who expressed desire to stop smoking of which five fulfilled the initial interview. Inclusion criteria were: age greater than or equal to 18 years old, being a smoker, do not have severe mental disorder. The interviews were performed in order to determine the degree of nicotine dependence, motivation for smoking cessation and tobacco use health consequences. After the interview, the users were asked to participate in the smoking group whose monitoring would take place for a period of one year. Users who attended the initial interview were mostly female, had no complaints of health complications related to tobacco use, had already tried to quit smoking previously without success and had a low degree of dependence in Fagerstrom test. After the initial interview, users were invited to attend the first meeting, but only two appeared. Thus, the group beginning had to be postponed due to lack of adhesion. Among the solutions identified in order to reverse the situation, were considered to set the group sessions outside the Health Unit.