FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS COUNSELING FOR QUITTING SMOKING

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been leading causes of death accounting for 75 percent of all death among Thai people which WHO concern to be premature death. Cigarette smoking is considered to be one of significant risk factors causing fatal NCDs. Although most of smokers know that cigarettes kill lives, they hardly be able to quit smoking due to various factors such as valuing smoking as social acceptance, using smoking to forget stress events, avoiding thinking of problem solving in daily life situation regarding family and economic issues. Quitting smoking habit, therefore, takes great endeavor.           The Essential of 5A concept is valuable for healthcare providers to help people quit smoking which comprises of: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange.              To follow steps of 5A concept is to ask smokes and help them concern about their problems and then advise them to quit while assessing their levels of nicotine dependence to assist and arrange an action plan in cooperation with them to quit smoking. This article proposes the concept of Four Noble Truths to guide counseling processes to help smokers quit smoking. It is a means to lead smokers to search for their root of suffering, what are the causes of problems in their lives, whether smoking helps, and what are their lives’ goals. Healthcare providers may learn specific counseling skills to help smokers to realize their lives’ courses and goals in order to permanently quit smoking.