May 31, 2022. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and is the main preventable risk factor for the development of 33% of tumors and 22% of deaths from cancer, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). “Tobacco kills half of its users, is responsible for more than 8 million deaths a year in the world and is consumed by more than 1.1 billion people”. These are some of the data shown today, World No Tobacco Day.
Aludium’s commitment to the health, safety and well-being of its employees is one of our top priorities. Consequently, one of the actions within the healthy company program ‘Health for ever’ is aimed at quitting smoking among employees. This action has been carried out for five years at the Alicante plant. “In 2017, after analyzing the epidemiological data, we realized that the incidence of smokers in the Alicante factory was higher than the national average. At that time, from the medical service, we devised a campaign in which we proposed to carry out a motivational session with the help of a psychologist specializing in addictive behaviors”, reveals Manuel Rodríguez, a doctor specializing in occupational medicine at the Alicante plant.
“The name of the campaign was: ‘If you want you can, we’ll help you’ and 18 workers signed up for the campaign who agreed to undergo the pharmacological treatment for three months and promised not to smoke for two years. All of them underwent follow-up consultations during those two years with respiratory function tests to see the evolution. The success of the campaign was that after two years, 50% of those who started treatment were still smoke-free”, adds Rodríguez.
First steps to quit tobacco
An informative email was sent today from the medical service at the Alicante plant on the benefits of quitting smoking and the dangers of maintaining this habit, which is so harmful to the health of people and the planet. Tobacco is one of the biggest public health problems in Spain. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), almost a quarter of the Spanish population is a habitual smoker. Awareness about smoking cessation and the prevention of this addiction are essential in order not to increase the number of smokers. From the medical service they give us some advice to abandon this harmful habit for the consumer himself as well as for those around him, since as the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology points out, “tobacco also affects those who live with it (passive smokers), with a 20 to 30% increase in your risk of lung cancer”.
“The first piece of advice for quitting smoking, and for me the most important, is personal motivation. If the worker is really convinced of wanting to quit smoking, he or she has already come a long way. The second is to seek advice and help from a medical professional who will monitor you and guide you along this path”, points out Manuel Rodríguez.
Protecting the planet, another reason to give up tobacco
‘Tobacco, a threat to the environment’ is the slogan chosen this year by the WHO for the World No Tobacco Day campaign. This year the information campaign highlights the environmental impact of tobacco during all stages of its life cycle: cultivation, manufacturing and distribution, consumption, consumption residues. The tobacco industry not only harms the health of people but also that of the planet and with this communication they want to give another reason to quit this habit. In an article published on the WHO page, 100 reasons are listed to quit smoking.
The benefits of quitting smoking are almost immediate. At 20 minutes the heart rate decreases. Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide concentrations in the blood return to normal. Between the second week and three months, circulation and lung function improve.
Source: WHO
With all this data and the many tangible health benefits of quitting tobacco, smokers have every reason to take the first step.
