The program aims to provide support for smokers in order to improve their ability to become and stay nicotine-free. It was established several years ago, and was reactivated and in October 2005 with the formation of a Planning Committee composed of Dr. Luisito F. Idolor as Program Director, Dr. Rosita R. de Leon as Program Manager, and Mrs. Helen E. Calong as Nurse Coordinator. A seminar-workshop for Pulmonary Fellows and nurses was held on December 14, 2005 for the purpose of training them on how to counsel and provide support to patients who want to quit smoking. Subsequent seminars for fellows and eventually other medical practitioners were planned.

General Objective:

 To generate awareness of and promote the early prevention of respiratory and other related diseases through counseling, interview and treatment of smokers

 Specific Objectives:
  • To train Pulmonary fellows, General Practitioners, and other allied medical professionals as counselors/advocates
  • To utilize the assistance and service of Pulmonary Fellows in the counseling sessions (They shall interview patients at the OPD to determine smokers and to attend to admitted patients referred to them for counseling.)
  • To develop an effective counseling program
  • To provide counseling to smokers
  • To develop and utilize evaluation tools to assess the effectiveness of the program
  • To formulate lecture materials and CDs on how to give up smoking for distribution to the public
  • To continue devising new strategies for the improvement and upgrading of the program via installing "No Smoking" signages
  • To coordinate with the Department of Health Communicable Disease Program and with other related associations for the promotion of the Smoking Cessation Program 

     Furthermore, the program aims to conduct Smoking Cessation advocacy not only within the LCP hospital premises but in other hospitals as well by establishing an effective network.