When a person decides to quit smoking, he has to understand that there’s more to it than making the particular decision. He will need help and support from the people around him. He also has to develop attitudes that can help him be successful on his desire to stop smoking. There can also be a time that he will need help from, his physician especially if the withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking start to occur.
The world is aware of all the sufferings of a person who wants to quit smoking. Organizations are formed to help these individuals around the world. Take a look at the following US and international organizations that provide help and support to those who want to recover form their smoking addiction:
1.World Health Organization: TFI (Tobacco Free Initiative)
Established in 1998 as part of the Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster, the WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative assists in the efforts to control tobacco use in the world. Their efforts focus on helping everyone be aware of tobacco addiction and providing resources and action plan for tobacco control. The staff of TFI coming from the WHO regional and country sectors work hand in hand to plan, create and implement programs and activities on tobacco control.
2.American Lung Association
The tobacco control advocacy of the American Lung Association consists of smoking cessation programs which include the Freedom from Smoking program for the adult patients and the Not-On-Tobacco program for the teen patients. These programs provide self-help books, conduct counseling, clinic visits and other kinds of activities aimed to help the patients on quitting smoking.
The American Lung Association is also working with the other organizations to add strength to the laws that protect the people from the harm of secondhand smoke as well as policies that prevent the youth from being addicted to smoking.
3.Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR)
ANR is a national organization focused on enforcing and protecting the rights of nonsmokers. Their mission, aside from the protection of nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, also consists of preventing tobacco addiction among the young people. The organization has started enacting the legislations concerning the protection of nonsmokers from their workplace and other public spaces.
4.Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC)
TTAC is a US organization dedicated to providing assistance to other organizations that implements effective programs on tobacco control. They provide technical assistance, give out useful products, tools and other equipment, and also conduct trainings to help make the tobacco control program’s efforts on assisting people to quit smoking successful.