Smoking Cessation in the US - Term Paper Example

? Smoking cessation Insert Needs assessment An estimated 45.3 million people in the United s of America are smokers of Tobacco. This is roughly 19.3% of the adult Americans (Goel, 2008). Smoking is also currently the highest cause of preventable deaths. Alarming statistics show that out of 1 out of 5 deaths reported are as a result of smoking related complications. This epidemic is also linked to the many cases of cancer, majorly lung cancer which is associated with respiratory complications contributed to by smoking. A huge percentage of those who smoke do not fully appreciate the gravity of the effects of smoking. This has made it even harder to counter the growing number of smokers in the country as the statistics continue to rise. Attention has been drawn to perceived high priority diseases like cancer. This overlooks the fact that smoking cessation could actually be a big piece in solving the puzzle of respiratory related cancer. Tobacco addiction has had adverse effects not only in the field of Health and Medicare but also on the social lives of Americans, both smokers and non-smokers. While economical effects may not be seen as an important part of the smoking problem, it attracts attention to note the statistic that 28.9% of citizens living below the poverty line are smokers (Goldman, 2013). Although a separate matter altogether, there is a need to consider incorporation of smoking cessation programs into TB prevention program by the Center for Disease Control. The necessity of formulating a strong framework for dealing with the problem of smoking in the United States. If the matter is deprived of attention and left unattended, it could grow out of control and become a major medical epidemic in the near future. It is therefore a matter of high priority to investigate the details of smoking as an addiction among Americans in order to come up with a lasting solution. The role of needs assessment The role of the needs assessment is to clearly bring out the rationale of the program having brought out clearly the statistics on the subject. The needs assessment then delivers to the evaluation basis, a working outline. It is easier to design a plan when the extent of the need for it to be there has been determined. The increase in the number of adult American smokers has raised concerns. There is also an increase in tobacco smoking among persons below the age of in. There is a need for action to be taken in the form of developing smoking Cessation programs. Because the affected community is the country at large, a unified policy is required to provide support for addicts. Under the Smoking cessation program, the smokers themselves are to voluntarily start an initiative towards quitting. Health care providers and medical facilities are to provide professional advice to those enrolled in the program. There should also be sensitization campaigns to promote the current smoking cessation programs and provide incentives for the formulation of new ones. Target Population The target population for smoking cessation program is the 19.3% of the population who have been identified as smokers (Ayers, 2007). This particular category consists of both those who are seeking help to quit smoking and also recreational users of Tobacco who are still oblivious of the dangers of smoking either by choice or lack of information. The program runs along already established statistics of the smoking prevalence across the country. The Midwest America is leading in terms of figures with an approximated 21.8% (Goel, 2008). The program will also target minors in schools who are susceptible to being introduced to smoking. Objectives The aim of the program is to reduce the number of smokers considerably. The other goal is to ensure those who want to quit smoking are helped by a program that will ensure they stop smoking whilst eliminating chances of relapse which is common among individuals who have taken steps towards quitting. The long term goal is to achieve a tobacco free nation and ultimately reduce respiratory complications like TB and lung cancer. To obtain this end, the objectives of the program were identified as 1. Reducing the figures of those citizens who smoke to fall at a considerable level below the 45.3 million that have been identified by studies. (Goel, 2008). 2. To ensure a quality program that assists those who are in the process of quitting. This includes increasing sensitization among those smokers who are yet to take steps towards quitting 3. Prevent new cases of smoking among the part of the population who have not been yet classified as smokers. 4. Protect persons under the age of 18 years from being exposed to taking up the habit of smoking cigarettes especially in schools. The program does not have a specific baseline like the exact figure in percentage in terms of the population that is expected to quit smoking. The decreases in figures are projected just to show a significant and notable decline in percentages. Smoking cessation programs are not new phenomena and there have been several programs in practice including the Nicotine reduction therapy (Stritzke, 2009). Some of the cessation programs have been in establishment for more than ten years although they have never been implemented as State programs. Resources The major resources of the smoking cessation program in terms of input are health care providers and community support groups. Family and friends of addicts and also the smokers themselves also provide an important input to the program. The stakeholders of this program aforementioned as the inputs of the program require training and education on the effects of smoking, what exactly contributes to the smoking habits and what are the right steps to be taken towards smoking cessation. Enrollment of smokers in programs to help them quit is one short-term result that is expected (Stritzke, 2009). This outcome is the first signal towards achieving smoking cessation and a smoke free nation. Evaluation Design The program is extensively large since the target population is the entire populace of smokers in the US (Goel, 2008). This is however not a shortfall since the subject of smoking itself does not require a lot of study since the outcomes of a small comparison group will suffice. The subject being an addiction means that what will be displayed in one smoker will most likely be homogenous among all other smokers. Obtaining information would be considered rather easy. The records of those who have previously been enrolled in smoking cessation programs in health facilities will be found to be useful. Smokers would also voluntarily provide information. As mentioned before that the programs have been in place for some time, information from previous evaluations that were done on a smaller scale will be used as a baseline for this evaluation. Resource Consideration There are unlimited resources available for most of the data collection will involve voluntary information from stakeholders. Since state owned medical facilities are already in place, the evaluation will benefit from the ordinary routines. Those seeking help for smoking related complications or even advice on how to stop will provide an easy pool of information. The evaluation therefore is a continuous process that will benefit from already established systems and structures. More information would come from surveys on the smokers who will provide views on what they feel would be most useful to them in creating the smoking habit. Another important source of additional information would be health practitioners who are specialized in this field. (Ayers, 2007). Evaluation Standards A high level of professional judgment is important in this program. One of the guiding principles would be the specifications and guidelines of the Food and Drug Association in meeting the safety of smoking cessation programs. Confidentiality is also key in cases where an addict patient has volunteered information (Goldman, 2013). Data collection The crucial part of the Evaluation would be a collection of data for the program. Quantitative methods of data collection will be used. The quantitative methods will include questionnaires handed over to smokers, observations and data obtained from databases of the CDC. The primary method of collecting data would be an examination of already existing information from health facilities and support groups. Surveys will also have to be conducted. The surveys will majorly target smokers and those who have already quit through previous programs. Interviewing health providers would also be crucial in obtaining information from a professional perspective. The surveys and interviews will exploit the use of questionnaires and live interrogation to probe for information. Observation of sessions with addict patients at medical facilities will also provide a practical perspective to the evaluation (Stritzke, 2009). References Ayers, S. (2007). Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine. Cambridge [etc.: Cambridge University Press. Goel, R. K., & Nelson, M. A. (2008). Global efforts to combat smoking: An economic evaluation of smoking control policies. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Pub. Co. Goldman, M. B., Troisi, R., & Rexrode, K. M. (2013). Women and health. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Stritzke, W. G. K., Chong, J. L. Y., & Ferguson, D. (2009). Treatment manual for smoking cessation groups: A guide for therapists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More