Smoking cessation: A multi-billion dollar industry with an estimated 1.2 billion customers worldwide. Arguably, a market controlled by the powerful pharmaceutical multinationals, which wield such power and influence over the media, television, newspapers, radio, universities, scientific journals, medical associations even government’s. Is it possible to create proactive propaganda to protect and perpetuate a multi-billion dollar industry?
Every year 4 million smokers in the UK try to kick the habit with only an estimated 150,000 permanent successes, many of them seek advice from their local GP or pharmacy, thousands call the national quit line, and hundreds contact the government Health Action Zone. A smoker attempting to quit and contacting one of these organisations will be directed towards various Nicotine Replacement Therapies and encouraged to use one of these products, I contacted quit line as a smoker, they began by asking my name and post code, which I duly gave them, I declined to give them my telephone number, I was asked if I would like an information pack posted to me, I declined.
Several days later, guess what? NHS stop smoking package, full of NRT brochures arrived in my letter box. Was hypnosis or acupuncture mentioned? Yes, “other aids to giving up, hypnosis, acupuncture. Some claim very high success rates. Be careful – there is no magic {cure|program|method} and none of these {methods|cures|program’s} have been scientifically proven. If you have doubts call us” as if to {reinforce|reiterate} that NRT is the only method.
The quit councillor then asked what methods I had tried. I mentioned patches, lozenges, gums , I even told the councillor that I had tried patches many times and had no success, when I asked for their ‘expert’ advise it was suggested that I tried one of the NRT products again, I asked about other methods (perhaps psychological after all the director of ASH was quoted on the BBC website as saying a smoker needs to be ‘psychologically ready to give up’, is this his way of saying NRT only addresses the physical addiction and does not come close to the second root of smoking the psychological; habitual side) such as hypnosis, acupuncture or an alternative {method|program|course} not involving NRT, the {response|reply}, these {methods|programs|courses} have no evidence to {support|validate} them, nicotine replacement products double your success rate, double your success rate, I {repeated|replied}, yes, was the reply, what a {great|fantastic} sales line I thought, muttering to myself “doubles your success rate”, “can I {ask|enquire} what percentage that equates to?” Willpower alone is 1% but with NRT that’s doubled”, wow 2%, so NRT is 98% unsuccessful?
Figures given by the quitline consultant infact were not correct. I continued, I would rather try some other form of quitting, can you recommend a hypnotherapist? “There is no scientific evidence to support hypnosis”, the voice on the end of the phone retorted, as if to reinforce that message. “Still I’d like to give it a try” I was then given the number of British Complementary Medical Association, I called them and asked for a hypnotherapist in my area, sorry was the reply we do not have a hypnotherapist in that area, I asked for surrounding areas, sorry not even in the surrounding areas. I looked up the website, it was hardly surprising nationwide there was only 23 hypnotherapists listed, I tried three of the numbers, intrigued at what qualifications they might hold and they were unobtainable.
Did you know the UK Government takes some $8,000,000,000 ($8 billion) each year in taxes and revenues directly related to smoking?
Did you know the UK National Health Service spends $1,700,000,000 treating smoking related illness in the UK each year?
Did you know the UK government makes an annual profit from smoking of about $6,300,000,000
Did quit and other supposedly independent organisations really not want smokers trying any other methods?