Page 67 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

In addition, a leaflet titled "Enhanced Subsidies for Second-Generation Smoking Cessation to Facilitate Quitting" is distributed to licensed pharmacies for pickup by the public. As of the end of November 2017, a total of 1,000 community pharmacies nationwide participate in this activity and have signed relevant contracts (for more details please refer to the chart below). The map shows that the ratio of participating licensed pharmacies in areas with insufficient medical resources in central, southern, and eastern Taiwan and offshore islands is quite high. This is excellent news forpeople in remote areas and shows that community pharmacies have gained the ability to fully utilize their competitive advantage in the provision of convenient, accessible, and professional smoking cessation counseling services for the general public. Training program for smoking cessation instructors Nursing staff, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals have contact with smokers frequently. Their professional also gives them advantages in supporting smoking cessation and makes them extremely qualified candidates for smoking cessation instructors. Personnel with extensive knowledge and skills on tobacco control and smoking cessation commit them to communities, schools, and workplaces, which could promote and improve cessation services. The HPA thus established the program that focus on training professionals dedicated to tobacco control and smoking cessation. In 2014, local health bureaus were charged with providing basic- and intermediate-level training courses. The Taiwan Nurses Association was also commissioned to im-plement the training program that included: (1) providing advanced-level and teacher training for smoking cessation instructors; (2) maintaining the "Taiwan Tobacco Control Educator Alliance" website to maximize its functions and performance; (3) creating smoking cessation instructor training materials; (4) investigating the performance of smoking cessation services; and (5) establishing counseling models for smoking cessation instructors. Courses included: a 26-hour core training that covered tobacco control policies, evidence- based smoking cessation, medication issues for smoking cessation, techniques for behavioral changes, and creating a supportive environment. They also included a 10-hour group work session that covered practical discussions, exercises, and reports. A 15-hour extra-curricular practical training session that covered smoking cessation helpline, smoking cessation courses, and practical training workshop at clinics. Through training program, trainees could put theory into practice and understand to coordinate with various smoking cessation resources (as shown in Table 1-7). Table 1-7 Training program for smoking cessation instructors 51 hours Basic training 8 hours Intermediate training 7 hours Advanced training 34 hours Core courses 26 hours 1. Understanding smoking Hazards and the correlation between smoking and disease (1 hour) 2. Current status in promoting tobacco control policies in Taiwan and around the world (1 hour) 3. Healthy lifestyles, habits, and smoking cessation (1 hour) 4. Smoking refusal, smoking cessation resources, and referrals (1 hour) 5. The role of smoking cessation instructors in case management (1 hour) 1. Cessation counseling techniques and case studies (1 hour) 2. How to help cases persevere and prevent from recurrences (1 hour) 3. Successful planning of smoking cessation courses and materials (1 hour) 4. Organization and implementation of tobacco control promoting activities (1 hour) 5. Inducing the motivation to quit smoking (1 hour) 1. Second generation smoking cessation service payment scheme and tobacco control (1 hour) 2. Empirical studies and guidelines for cessation intervention (2 hours) 3. Smoking cessation medication: common issues and solutions (1 hour) 4. Self-image, stress management and interpersonal relationship (1 hour) 5. How to use life skills in smoking cessation (1 hour) 6. Cessation courses for youth (1 hour) 7. Smoking cessation helpline and counseling skills (1 hour) 65 Reducing the Demand for Tobacco