Recently, at the launching ceremony of the "No Tobacco Smoke Medical Facilities" contest, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that in the world, tobacco takes more than 8 million lives each year. In Vietnam alone, tobacco-related diseases cause more than 100,000 deaths each year.
According to the Ministry of Health, tobacco is the cause of 28 dangerous disease groups such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and many reproductive health problems. However, many people are still subjective and underestimate the harms that tobacco causes to themselves and those around them.
Although aware of the health effects of tobacco, Mr. T.D. D (Hanoi) said that he used to smoke because of the influence of friends and the surrounding environment. He has had about 4 years of continuous smoking, followed by many years of intermittent smoking. Previously, he smoked about 4-5 cigarettes per day, and when he stayed up late to work or eat and drink, he could smoke more.
According to Mr. D, cigarettes once brought a sense of alertness and reduced fatigue in a short time. However, after getting married and having children, he decided to quit smoking to protect his own and his loved ones' health.
Initially, I still craved it very much, especially when sitting with smokers, but I tried to restrain myself from smoking again," Mr. D shared.
Fortunately, because he stopped smoking early, Mr. D's health is still stable. Meanwhile, many cases of prolonged smoking face chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mr. N.V.T (Hanoi) has been living with COPD for the past 2 years. Recently, his shortness of breath has become increasingly severe, causing him to be hospitalized for treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. After more than 10 days of treatment, his health gradually stabilized. However, according to information from doctors, despite being warned many times, he still maintained the habit of smoking for a long time.
I have been smoking for about 50 years, on average one pack per day. Many times I wanted to quit but it was very difficult because my body always felt restless and unconscious," Mr. T shared. After this treatment, he said he would be determined to quit smoking to avoid the disease progressing more severely.
According to BSKI Bui Thi Tang - Department of General Internal Medicine, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital - COPD patients with a long history of smoking are quite common. This is one of the leading risk factors leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Experts also warn that if not monitored and treated properly, COPD can cause dangerous acute episodes, causing patients to be hospitalized many times and seriously reducing the quality of life.
