Hong Kong: Adventist Hospitals Sponsored Smoking Cessation Training Program

“In Hong Kong, according to the information from the Department of Health, about 793,200 daily & occasional smokers in 2006, or 14% of population aged 15 or over. However, smoking kills 5,700 persons per year and is estimated to kill 16 persons every day. In 2000, almost 34,500 people require hospitalization due to illnesses from smoking.” said Mr. Aaron Liu, director of Community Relations, Adventist Hospital and coordinator of the training program.

The Adventist Church was the leader in Smoking Cessation Program during the 60’ to 90’ in Hong Kong, but when the Government took over the task and set up more NGOs to run the program, the Church gradually sharing the responsibility and leadership in Anti-smoking movement. However, it is also a urgent need in Hong Kong that people like to Quit Smoking after the New Anti-smoking Law has been launched in January,2007, According to the new law,smoking is prohibited in the public and working place.

The stop smoking programs provided in town is not comprehensive enough to meet the need of this complicated society, therefore, taking the opportunity of Health Leaders from the World Church Health Ministries Department coming to Hong Kong for the regional Health Advisory, the hospitals in Hong Kong invited them to stay longer to share their professional knowledge, research, and up-dated information on stop smoking with the Hong Kong community, to train up more health workers with more effective methods to help smokers to quit smoking.

During the training, Breath Free Program was introduced to the group. Breathe Free is a user–friendly, research–based program designed to aid the smoker in developing self-assurance and confidence in the cessation process, which is developed by a group of Health Professionals in the Adventist Health System-USA.

Hong Kong government representative, Dr. Christine Wong, the director of Tobacco Control Office, Department of Health who gave an opening remarks during the opening ceremony. Other honorary guests participated in the ceremony included leaders from the Health Ministries Department of the World Church, Dr. A Handysides, Dr. P Landless, Dr. K Kuntaraf and Dr. S Proctor. Local church leaders included Pastor James Wu, the chairman of the Adventist Hospital Board, Dr. Daniel Chuah, president of the Hong Kong Adventist College.

The participants enjoyed the training program and the feedback was very positive. A ”Quit Partnership Club” was organized after the training program to develop closer communication, sharing of information and supporting each other to continue the anti-smoking campaign in Hong Kong.