WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The World Health Organization has recommended a comprehensive set of tobacco cessation interventions, including behavioral support delivered by health-care providers, digital cessation interventions and pharmacological treatments in a first of its kind guideline on quitting tobacco.
The guideline focuses on helping the more than 750 million tobacco users who want to quit all forms of tobacco. The recommendations are relevant for all adults seeking to quit various tobacco products, including cigarettes, water-pipes, smokeless tobacco products, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco, and heated tobacco products (HTPs).
'This guideline marks a crucial milestone in our global battle against these dangerous products,' said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 'It empowers countries with the essential tools to effectively support individuals in quitting tobacco and alleviate the global burden of tobacco-related diseases.'
More than 60 percent of the world's 1.25 billion tobacco users - more than 750 million people - wish to quit, yet 70 percent of them lack access to effective cessation services, according to WHO. This gap exists due to challenges faced by health systems, including resource limitations.
WHO claims that combining pharmacotherapy with behavioral interventions significantly increases quitting success rates.
WHO recommends varenicline, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), bupropion, and cytisine as effective treatments for tobacco cessation. In April, Kenvue's nicotine gum and patch became the first WHO-prequalified NRT products.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
