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SMOKING CESSATION: BENEFITS AND STRATEGIES IN PRIMARY CARE

ANA PAULA FIGUEIREDO GUIMARÃES DE ALMEIDA 1 ; GABRIEL ATAIDE MONÇÃO 2 ; HELENA CASTILHONI BELIQUE 3 ; LUIZA FERNANDES FONSECA SANDES 3 ; MARIA FERNANDA NEVES SILVEIRA DE SOUZA 3 ; MORGANA ALBURQUERQUE PRATES 3 ; PEDRO HENRIQUE ALVES SOARES 3 ; RAQUEL CORRÊA GUIMARÃES 3
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Introduction: Smoking is a major public health problem worldwide, mainly because of the massive amount of cigarette users and the damages that it causes to both passive and active smokers. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers smoking as the most preventable cause of illness and deaths around the globe. Therefore, it is essential to know more about this public health villain and discuss with family doctors in primary care, different methods of combating tobacco’s spread and addiction among users. Methods: This article is part of a project from medicine students of the Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (UNIMONTES). The main scientific bases (Scielo®, Science® Direct®, etc.) were used as research tools for articles and books about smoking cessation and smoking abuse. The basic knowledge on this subject for professionals of the primary medical care is summed up in this article. Results and Conclusion: Smoking is included in the group of mental and behavioral diseases, because of nicotine’s psychoactive element. Smokers usually have a life expectancy five years shorter than non-smokers and their mortality rates are ten times greater. Smoking is associated with 90% of lung cancers, 30% of all types of cancer and with 22% of cardiovascular diseases. Smoking cessation at age of 30 can increase life expectancy in up to ten years, consequently there are many techniques to encourage smoking ceasing among patients. There are public policies, as increasing tobacco tributes, and actions on the primary healthcare field, as cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological approaches, which may be associated, leading to effective results.