China: Campaign Highlights The Danger Of Smoking

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 01 Nov 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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Launching World Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, medical experts warned that 87 per cent of people who die of lung cancer either smoke or suffer exposure to secondhand smoke.

The Chinese Anti-Cancer Association said that 600,000 people die each year of lung cancer in China out of a population of 350 million smokers.

Public awareness regarding the dangers of smoking, government support to ban smoking in public venues and new medicines are all effective in preventing and controlling lung cancer, the association said.

Next month, the association will cooperate with Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals to launch free consultations in seven cities, including Shanghai, to promote knowledge of lung cancer, ways to quit smoking and information on new medicines to treat lung cancer.

A picture exhibition portraying the lives of seven lung cancer patients will also tour the cities to encourage patients to fight the disease.

Experts said quitting smoking is the most important step to control lung cancer.

Dr Xiao Dan, director of Beijing Respiratory Disease Research Institute's epidemic office said: "Smoking is a long term nicotine addiction and 90 to 95 percent of smokers fail to quit smoking if they don't receive professional help. Proper guidance from doctors and effective medication like nicotine replacement therapy can help people stop smoking gradually and successfully. Such therapies are recommended by the World Health Organization."

http://www.ash.org.uk