Introduction
Primary health care is a model of medical care that seeks to ensure good health among individuals. This model relies on sub-models such as equity, accessible, comprehensive, and community-based care. The primary purpose of this model is to provide a framework of curative, rehabilitative, promotive, and preventive services among individuals in a community (Ho et al., 2019). In terms of controlling the use of tobacco, primary health care has its roles.
One of the significances of primary health care in controlling tobacco use is offering preventive measures. A primary model for preventing tobacco use is the creation of awareness (Mak et al., 2018). Through the creation of awareness, people in the community can learn about the dangers of smoking tobacco. This model enables people to form campaign groups to educate teenagers, older adults, and pregnant women about the health risks of smoking tobacco.
The other significance of primary health care in controlling excessive tobacco use is the promotion of early diagnosis. This medical model allows the community to get a diagnosis of smoking-related illnesses at an early stage. Through early diagnosis, the patients have an opportunity for early treatment before the stages of potential illnesses evolve and grow to require sophisticated medical procedures.
The PHC model also provides counseling services to potential and existing tobacco users. From this perspective, the primary purpose of counseling services is to cover preventive and curative measures for stopping or controlling tobacco use. For example, this model uses counseling services to provide rehabilitative services by introducing successful quitting processes to existing tobacco users. For potential tobacco addicts, the PHC model provides a preventive framework that entails a concise list of risks associated with tobacco smoke.
The primary healthcare model also ensures that tobacco addicts refer to specialized services. For complex cases of tobacco-related diseases, the PHC model forwards the patients to more physiological assistance. For example, for patients with lung cancer due to excessive tobacco use, the PHC models refer them to more sophisticated medication within the health care facilities. Therefore, depending on the extent of the damage caused by tobacco- smoke, the PHC classifies patients and provides rehabilitative assistance.
The other significance of the PHC model in regulating and controlling tobacco use is community involvement. The community has a significant stake in controlling the use of alcohol and drugs. Therefore, medical practitioners, social workers, and psychologists rely on the community to ensure that there is an impact of controlling the excessive use of tobacco products. Community involvement in this category involves various fields, such as labeling cigarette packets with health warnings against excessive tobacco use (Ho et al., 2019). Other activities include school campaigns against tobacco use intending to educate children and teenagers about possible health risks.
Implementation of Tobacco Control Campaigns/ Interventions in Hing Kong
Controlling tobacco use in Hong Kong relies on community participation, equity, and intersectoral collaboration. In Hong Kong, using these three approaches has aided in implementing control of tobacco use. However, challenges exist and hinder the successful implementation of tobacco use control.
Community Participation
Community participation is one of the interventions that have been reliable in implementing control of tobacco use. Community participation involves all components of a society, including economic, political, and social methods. For example, the government has laid a legislative framework against excessive tobacco use in Hong Kong. This legislative framework seeks to control tobacco use among under-aged children, teenagers, and pregnant mothers (Chung et al., 2019). Mackay et al. (2022) state that in 1987, the Hong Kong legislative council introduced guidelines through the Smoking Public Health Ordinance, whose role is to ensure control of tobacco use in the community till today. Although there have been numerous amendments, this ordinance was created to lay rules prohibiting tobacco smoking in various places such as public, indoor, and workplaces where non-smokers could be affected.
Additionally, community participation revolves around economic factors such as social marketing and advertising. The community is aware that laws govern the sale of tobacco products to underage and other vulnerable community members, such as pregnant women. Regarding social marketing, implementing tobacco use control has relied on campaigns that push for smoking cessation in the community.
Another method of community participation that has facilitated the implementation of tobacco use control in Hong Kong is the provision of Quitline services (Mackay et al., 2022). Other quitting promotions include the Tobacco Control Offices (TCO), which regulate how individuals smoke, which could affect themselves or others. The TCO offices operate on counseling, among other preventive strategies that could assist potential addicts of tobacco products.
The other aspect of community participation in the implementation of tobacco control is compliance with policies. The Hong Kong community complies with the high taxation of tobacco products. Other policies include warnings and restricting the promotion of the products due to the influence they may have on underage individuals (Chung et al., 2019). Experts in public health are tasked by the government to ensure that these restrictions are complied with. The experts also provide and ensure facilitation of guidelines concerning the use of tobacco are implemented. The government has structured such policies after extensive communication and consultations with the Hong Kong community.
Intersectoral Collaboration
In terms of intersectoral collaboration, there are multiple attempts by the community, health facilities, and the legislature to discourage the promotion of tobacco use in Hong Kong. The purpose of intersectoral collaboration in this context has been to involve non-governmental and governmental organizations in conducting “Smoke-Free” campaigns in Hong Kong (Chung et al., 2019). Despite the challenges, the extensive campaign activities have assisted in reducing excessive tobacco smoking in Hong Kong.
One effective implantation strategy that has worked for intersectoral collaboration is enforcing tobacco control policies. Most countries rely on the presence of police to enforce control of tobacco smoking. In Hong Kong, stakeholders from multiple sectors assist in enforcing controlled tobacco smoking (Hong & Henriksen, 2022). This collaboration is ongoing, and it addresses rules surrounding the sale of cigarettes in terms of price, age of buyers, and health guidelines of buyers (Chung et al., 2019). For example, health facilities such as hospitals and rehabilitation centers assist in controlling the sale of cigarettes to patients whose prescriptions have ordered smoking cessation.
The other aspect of intersectoral collaboration that has ensured the implementation of tobacco use control in Hong Kong is enforcing bans. The government has banned the use of tobacco products to particular extents, such as indoors and public smoking. Therefore, different organizations, both in and out of the government, ensure that the ban is reliable and active in public and indoor places in Hong Kong. Therefore, intersectoral collaboration has aided community policing against irresponsible tobacco use in Hong Kong.
Equity
Equity is the other method that has aided in implementing control of tobacco use in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong community has ensured that all the activities surrounding regulating tobacco use facilitate equity (Hong & Henriksen, 2022). Through such activities, the government, healthcare facilities, and NGOs seek to provide a framework of equity where non-smokers are not affected by tobacco use.
One of the ways equity has assisted in the implementation of tobacco use control is through regulating consumption. The implementation strategies enforce community guidelines that protect children and non-smokers from tobacco smoke through direct measures such as prohibiting smoking in public places and indoors near children and non-smokers. Indirect measures include prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to underaged people (Chung et al., 2019). These are equity measures that revolve around tobacco use control implementation.
The other aspect of equity in implementing tobacco use control in Hong Kong is campaigning for public health. The government and non-governmental agencies facilitate public health stakeholders in campaigns that seek to control tobacco use in Hong Kong. Through these campaigns, it is possible to implement control strategies and ensure that the primary healthcare approach assists in enforcing equity.
PHC model is also an aspect of equity that has aided the facilitation of controlling tobacco use in Hong Kong. The health sector treats both addicts and potential smokers equally. For example, rehabilitating ex-smokers involves equal treatment in counseling, provision of quitting processes, and emotional support. Underaged individuals and potential tobacco addicts also get equal treatment from health facilities through early diagnosis, treatment, and mentorship. The equity aspect also targets the community where smokers and non-smokers get equal treatment (Hong & Henriksen, 2022). For example, despite banning smoking in public areas, the government has set smoking zones for tobacco smokers to avoid irresponsible public smoking. These acts of equity are reliable in controlling tobacco use in Hong Kong.
Conclusion
Public health care has relevance in controlling tobacco use in Hong Kong. The government and non-governmental agencies collaborate in handling issues related to tobacco use in Hong Kong to ensure that non-smokers, smokers, and potential tobacco addicts have equal treatment concerning control of tobacco use. Public health care ensures control of tobacco use through early diagnosis, counseling services, and rehabilitation of tobacco users. The PHC model employs a straightforward method of controlling tobacco use in Hong Kong through preventive and curative measures. Implementing control of tobacco use in Hong Kong involves equity, community participation, and intersectoral collaboration. Equity ensures that all individuals get fair treatment regardless of whether they smoke. The aspect of community participation involves the public in policing the use of tobacco in Hing Kong to prevent irresponsible smoking and an increase in smoke-related illnesses. The other aspect of community participation is campaigns, which are also applicant and reliable in intersectoral collaboration. In intersectoral collaboration, the government ensures that it collaborates with stakeholders and non-governmental agencies to ensure that there is adequate control of tobacco use in Hong Kong.
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