http://verafiles.

org/articles/back-drawing-board-doh-quit-line

text “STOPSMOKE” to (29290) 165364

(0921) 203 9534 (Smart/TNT/Sun) and (0977) 627 7539 (Globe/TM)

landline, 165364 followed by 3

In the Philippines, 22.7% of adults smoke tobacco, according to the 2015 Global Adult Tobacco
Survey. This means that 15.9 million people aged 15 years and above are hooked on nicotine.

“Up to half of all tobacco users will die from a tobacco-related disease,” says World Health
Organization in a report. T

The Lung Center of the Philippines hosts and manages the quit line in coordination with the DOH disease
and prevention control bureau-degenerative disease office.

Part of the quit line’s budget comes from tobacco sin taxes, which are considered a win for health care.
Within six years of passing the sin tax law, the 2018 budget of the DOH—₱160.7 billion—is almost four
times its 2012 budget of ₱42.2 billion.

How has the DOH quit line helped tobacco users and the community? Here are four ways.

 Callers receive free advice from trained counselors.

 Counselors proactively support tobacco users.
 The quit line adds to the efforts of health professionals to treat tobacco dependence.
 The quit line has served as a resource on other community services.

 They are guided by the Prochaska and DiClemente Stages of Change model. This model “offers a
framework for understanding the incremental processes that people pass through as they
change a particular behavior.” It is modeled in five stages: pre-contemplation (not ready to
change); contemplation (thinking of changing); preparation (ready to change); action (making
change); and maintenance (staying on track).

The counselors Ask the caller about his or her tobacco use, personal details, and medical history.
They use the data to Advise the caller in a personalized manner to quit for health, family, social,
and financial reasons. They Assess the tobacco user’s willingness to quit. The counselors then
Assist him or her in setting a quit date and provide counseling support. Lastly, they Arrange
follow-up calls. These calls are scheduled by agreement with the smoker.

7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.