| Abstract: | More than two million deaths from smoking-related diseases occur each year in Asia, but tobacco control programs in Asian countries have not been very effective as assessed by their smoking rates. Among them, the emphasis has mainly been on smoking prevention, or preventing new smokers in the population, more than smoking cessation, or helping current smokers quit. Cessation programs have been the weakest link in tobacco control among Asian countries. This stems from historical, cultural, treatment and policy barriers. In reality, Asian smokers are less informed of the highly addictive nature of smoking, resulting in their less motivation to quit on their own. Furthermore, the environment that Asian smokers are in is not very supportive or enabling. Clinically, treating smokers is different from treating most other diseases, because smokers seek medical care for reasons other than smoking. Another reason for smokers not interested in being treated for smoking is the frustration from past failures. In terms of policy, smoking cessation programs in Asia have been weak, as policy makers are not familiar with the implications of different tobacco control policies. Asian countries lack national cessation strategies aimed at those responsible for finding and implementation of cessation programs, national treatment guidelines based on up-to-date scientific evidence, and slow to hike cigarette taxes, resulting in some of the lowest cigarette prices in the world, when standard of living was adjusted. The low price of cigarettes has made smokers reluctant to quit. At the health care professional level, they are less committed to tobacco control and rarely provide counseling against smoking during office visits. |
