Meet our Anti-Smoking Ambassadors who will promote exercise to create communities of wellness!
HFI trained 34 community members and five (5) rural health staff—the Anti-Smoking Ambassadors– in Salcedo, E. Samar on Smoking Cessation last 06-07 September 2017 as part of HFI and Direct Relief’s Post-Haiyan Integrated Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Prevention and Control Program.
Cigarette smoking is harmful because it contains carcinogens and a lot of toxic substances that cause NCDs such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease by causing atherosclerosis or the clogging of arteries due to fat buildup.
Quitting smoking provides many benefits such as normalization of blood pressure, improvement of lung function, and other long term benefits such as decrease in risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and cancer among others.
HFI’s workshop focused on empowering community members to become Anti-Smoking Ambassadors who will help promote a smoke-free community and assist quitting smokers during their withdrawal phase.
The Anti-Smoking Ambassadors learned about the composition of tobacco, effects of tobacco smoking, effects of secondhand smoke, benefits of quitting smoking, as well as problem solving skills in addressing withdrawal symptoms and providing the Brief Intervention or the 5 A’s (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange).
The workshop culminated with a planning session on advocating smoking cessation in their respective communities.
Learn more about our NCD Project in Salcedo HERE.
Or check out 10 tips in reducing stress while you quit smoking HERE.
