78,000 smokers die each year from tobacco including 47,000 from cancer, 20,000 from cardiovascular disease and 11,000 respiratory diseases. On this World No Tobacco Day, the French Federation of Associations and Friends of the Respiratory, Insufficient or Disabled (FFAAIR) conducted a survey of people with respiratory diseases such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, sleep apnea or pulmonary fibrosis and asked them about their tobacco addiction.
59% of respiratory patients have smoked
The results of the OpinionWay / FFAAIR survey reveal that:
• 59% of people with these pathologies have smoked
• 71% were exposed to both active and passive smoking
• 80% of sick smokers needed at least 2 attempts to quit
• Only 36% were accompanied by a health professional in this process.
“Smokers do not know where to turn to quit smoking. Often, the pharmacist is the first health professional in contact with them since they advise smokers in their choice of nicotine substitutes but they must advise them to consult their general practitioner or a specialist – tobacco specialist or pulmonologist – to support them in their process “ explains Michel Vicaire, president of the FFAAIR.
The main obstacles to stopping smoking
• fear of scarcity at 42%
• lack of motivation at 36%
• previous attempts and failures at 32%
• the cost of weaning products at 20%.
Faced with the difficulties in quitting smoking, patients with respiratory diseases expect more organized medical support, with the identification of a health professional, who is solely responsible for their care in quitting smoking.
• 52% want specific consultations to stop smoking with the attending physician
• 41% want reimbursement for smoking cessation products.
Read also :
Tobacco: the scary portrait of the long-term smoker
Quitting smoking outright is more effective
