Smoking shortens life by 10 years!

Bitlis Ahlat State Hospital family medicine specialist Dr. Melek Ergin made important statements regarding the harms of smoking on the occasion of 'February 9, World Quit Smoking Day'.

Stating that smoking causes serious health problems worldwide, Ergin explained that the smoke spreading through the body, along with more than 4 thousand toxic substances contained in cigarettes, leads to many health problems, primarily heart, vascular, and lung diseases. Emphasizing that according to World Health Organization data, one in every five deaths occurs due to smoking and the diseases it causes, Ergin noted that smoking reduces life expectancy by an average of 10 years. She also added that people exposed to secondhand smoke are also under serious health risks.

Specialist Dr. Ergin stated that individuals who smoke endanger not only their own health but also the health of those around them, noting that the risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as sudden infant death, increases especially in children. She expressed that parents who smoke set a bad example for their children and may cause them to start smoking as well.

Touching upon the importance of quitting smoking, Ergin emphasized that many positive changes occur in people who quit and that it is important to support those who decide to quit. Stating that counseling services and medication treatment are effective in the smoking cessation process, she announced that as the Ahlat State Hospital Family Medicine Clinic, they provide support to patients regarding smoking cessation and that a smoking cessation clinic will also be put into service soon.