Turkish Thoracic Society's Statement Report on Electronic Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products.

Tobacco addiction, which causes the death of more than 8.5 million people in the world every year, is a preventable global public health problem. There are 1.1 billion adult smokers worldwide and 60% of them desire or intend to quit but unfortunately, the tobacco industry continues to profit at the expense of people's lives by marketing electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products as a smoking cessation method and they continue to poison young people with new threat tobacco products, promising a "smoke-free future" Turkish Thoracic Society is actively involved in the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Program to protect public health and has warned and raised awareness of new threats to the youth, such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The purpose of this report is to provide information about electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products and to present TTJ's position on the subject.

[The frequency of performing smoking cessation outpatient clinic in chest disease specialists who are members of Turkish Thoracic Society and factors affecting this performance]. / Türk Toraks Dernegi üyesi olan gögüs hastaliklari hekimleri arasinda sigara birakma poliklinigi yapilma sikligi ve iliskili faktörler.

INTRODUCTION: Although helping patients to stop smoking is a good clinical practice that has to be carried out by physicians everywhere and in every area, it is known that carrying out this help systematically in accordance to a programme in smoking cessation outpatient clinics significantly improves the chance of success. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional survey performed among chest disease specialists who are members of Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS), between June 2010 and February 2011. As independent variables relevant to status of performing/not performing Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic (SCOC); sex, age (younger or older than 40), being graduated before or after 1996, being or not being in a consultant position, work place (Hospital of Ministry of Health/private hospital/university hospital), having or not having an education for smoking cessation help and being or not being member of a City Tobacco Control Committee (CTCC) were investigated. Data was collected via a web-questionnaire prepared by using WHO Global Health Professionals Questionnaire which was sent to members through TTS secreteriat. RESULTS: 41% (699/1701) of members of TTS responded. 39.5% of responders reported that they perform SCOC. When the factors possibly affecting the performance of SCOC are evaluated with logistic regression analysis; being graduated after 1996, having an education for smoking cessation help, being a member of CTCC and not being an active smoker are found to improve this performance. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that having an education for smoking cessation help (and tobacco control) makes chest disease specialists get more responsibility on this topic. Accordingly, continuous efforts for improving awareness of personal and social responsibilities of all physicians, especially chest disease specialists, have to be made to provide their taking active roles in tobacco control.