SAINT LUCIA RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE INTERVENTIONS FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF TOBACCO USE.
The Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat in the Ministry of Health have been undertaking a series of workshops aimed at equipping individuals in the health and social care sectors with the necessary guidelines to assist tobacco users to quit.
Deputy Coordinator of the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat Joanna Joseph-Henry spoke on the need to ensure tobacco control and tobacco dependence treatment as Saint Lucia implements smoke free spaces.
“We are implementing smoke free spaces but at the same time we are offering help to individuals who need help to quit. We know it is not easy but we encourage anyone who is smoking or anyone who knows someone who is smoking to encourage that person to get help. If you not sure where to go, you can check with your wellness centre. As we implement the wellness centres will all be able to offer eventually but you can also call our office at the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat so that we can put you in touch with one of our service providers.”
The Deputy Coordinator highlighted the involvement of various agencies to work towards delivering tobacco interventions.
“We have over 30 agencies who are participating in this training. So, the Mental Wellness Center in the Ministry of Health, pharmacists, doctors, nurses, social workers as well as community officers in the ministries, the Boys’ Training Centre, the Bordelais Correctional Facility, all of those types of agencies are going to be able to offer this service. So the way it is going to be run is that it is going to be integrated into the normal routine of these individuals and it is very easy to deliver. It is an algorithm or a structured set of interventions that is based on very sound, clinical, medical and psychological theories and approaches.”
The tobacco cessation training workshop was made possible through the technical and financial assistance of the Pan American Health Organisation PAHO and the World Health Organisation WHO.
