No news headlines to comment on. Just a simple take on my 2 nights of volunteer duties as I-Quit Health Ambassador (HA) for Health Promotion Board (HPB) at the Geylang Serai night market area.
1. a continual effort to reach out to smokers during this festive and religious period with the community with the highest number of teen smokers and smokers in general. It is a recognised fact and one of the Champion I-Quit HA is an ex-smoker Malay lady. She is tireless and passionate about reaching out to smokers and trigger their desires to want to quit themselves!;
2. there are some young folks assisting in the same effort though in different roles from the volunteered HAs and seasoned ones like us shared with them that the key point is: It is about the smokers and NOT about us! It is there lives and their DECISION alone if they want to join the I-Quit 28-Day Campaign. If some of those we reached out to responded favourably, fine and well. If some responded in a not too positive or even unfriendly and hostile way, fine and well too. If there are neutral, we can 'chase' and 'probe' a bit more, but always be mindful that it is NEVER a 'push';
3. to kick this addiction is not easy. Research shows that it normally takes someone at least 3-4 times of trying before succeeding. The logical mind knows smoking is bad for health and financially expensive. For those who smoke with a logical mind, it is easier to quit. For those who smoke for emotional reasons like: to belong, to help manage stress, etc. the determination to stay the course of quitting is that much harder. Emotional element is harder to appreciate. Yet, if the people whom the smoker cares and loves are behind the efforts, he or she had a better chance of succeeding too in kicking the addiction. This coupled with the systematic process of encouraging and assisting the I-Quit smokers will greatly raise the success rate.
May I wish ALL I-Quit smokers a successful 28-Day journey and BEYOND far away from smoking!
1. a continual effort to reach out to smokers during this festive and religious period with the community with the highest number of teen smokers and smokers in general. It is a recognised fact and one of the Champion I-Quit HA is an ex-smoker Malay lady. She is tireless and passionate about reaching out to smokers and trigger their desires to want to quit themselves!;
2. there are some young folks assisting in the same effort though in different roles from the volunteered HAs and seasoned ones like us shared with them that the key point is: It is about the smokers and NOT about us! It is there lives and their DECISION alone if they want to join the I-Quit 28-Day Campaign. If some of those we reached out to responded favourably, fine and well. If some responded in a not too positive or even unfriendly and hostile way, fine and well too. If there are neutral, we can 'chase' and 'probe' a bit more, but always be mindful that it is NEVER a 'push';
3. to kick this addiction is not easy. Research shows that it normally takes someone at least 3-4 times of trying before succeeding. The logical mind knows smoking is bad for health and financially expensive. For those who smoke with a logical mind, it is easier to quit. For those who smoke for emotional reasons like: to belong, to help manage stress, etc. the determination to stay the course of quitting is that much harder. Emotional element is harder to appreciate. Yet, if the people whom the smoker cares and loves are behind the efforts, he or she had a better chance of succeeding too in kicking the addiction. This coupled with the systematic process of encouraging and assisting the I-Quit smokers will greatly raise the success rate.
May I wish ALL I-Quit smokers a successful 28-Day journey and BEYOND far away from smoking!
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