A helpline for those who want to quit smoking starts working - 1819
The National Stop Smoking Helpline is launched to provide free advice to people who want to quit smoking. By setting up this helpline, the Lithuanian Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department (DTACD) are implementing one of the measures recommended by the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for ending nicotine dependence.
Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys says that the establishment of the helpline is good news for people seeking support in quitting harmful habits. "Complex measures are the most effective in the fight against harmful habits - one of them is telephone counselling, which provides not only methodological help on how to quit smoking, but also psychological support on the way. This and similar helplines also act as a preventive measure, spreading the message about the harms of smoking, which is another means of creating a healthier society," the Minister said.
The helpline will be open on weekdays from 11 am to 7 pm and on weekends from 11 am to 2 pm. Those wishing to quit smoking will receive advice from 5 specialists trained in a specific evidence-based methodology.
On average, 30% of the population in Lithuania smokes tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco products) on a daily basis, and around 3% smoke e-cigarettes. Around 15% of all deaths (more than 6,000 annually) are attributable to smoking, so smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable mortality in Lithuania. According to the European Commission (EC), around 50% of smokers die prematurely, and the average smoker loses 14 years of his or her life due to this harmful habit.
Attempts to quit are not successful, people trust the effectiveness of the helpline
The 2021 Lithuanian General Population Survey found that 73.2% of smokers or smokers in the survey reported having tried to quit smoking: of these, 38.3% had succeeded in quitting; 34.9% were unsuccessful. According to the Eurobarometer (2020), Lithuanians are less likely to quit smoking compared to other EU countries.
Research shows that telephone helpline services increase the likelihood that a smoker will successfully quit. As Gražina Belian, Deputy Director and Acting Director of the NTCSD, told the press conference, according to a representative survey conducted by Vilnius University in 2020, 70% of smokers and 75% of non-smokers chose a free quitline as the main preferred tool to reduce smoking in society.
"This press conference marks the launch of the National Publicity Campaign on Smoking Cessation Assistance. We want to raise awareness of the harm caused by smoking and encourage people to quit, and we hope that the Helpline will be a useful tool for this", said Mr Belian.
Psychologist-psychotherapist Eglė Adomavičiūtė, one of the developers of the methodology, told the press conference that the methodology was developed based on the WHO recommendations and the best practices of other countries, as some similar helplines have been in place for several decades. "Today, the most effective way to quit smoking is a combination of psychological interventions and medical treatment. Nicotine dependence treatment, including helplines, is very cost-effective. It offers a positive return on investment, reduces healthcare costs, improves productivity and is one of the most effective clinical interventions to improve quality and length of life", said Ms Adomavičiūtė.
Edgaras Diržius, Adviser to the Minister of Health, informed at the press conference that SAM is expanding the variety and availability of smoking cessation support services, with the launch of short smoking cessation interventions and extended smoking cessation support services in primary care settings from the beginning of 2024. People could receive a brief smoking cessation intervention (with their GP) and extended smoking cessation support (up to 6 smoking cessation counselling sessions and the necessary follow-up support to prevent relapse) at mental health centres and municipal public health offices.
It is hoped that the services provided by the Line will attract interest and encourage people to take active advantage of them, and if they need more extensive smoking cessation support, they should contact the providers in their municipalities, whose contacts are listed on the nerukysiu.lt website.
The Ministry's progress project "National Smoking Cessation Helpline" will run until the end of 2029. It is financed by the State budget.
Last updated: 15-07-2024
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