The First Training Course for Developing Anti-Smoking Health Education Skills, organized by the Anti-Smoking Program in cooperation with the MOH Training and Scholarship General Department, was concluded last Wednesday, April 25th, 2012. The Course was held in Riyadh for three days, and was attended by thirty female trainees from Riyadh, Al-Qassim, the Eastern Province, Hail and Al-Jouf. The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) has accredited nine hours of continuing medical educational for this course.
In his address to the trainees, delivered in his behalf by Ph. Al-Honouf Al-Ali, the Supervisor-General of the Anti-Smoking Program, Dr. Majed Al-Menaif, commended the colossal efforts made by the Program's coordinators at the Kingdom's various regions, as well as helping them raise the community's awareness of the devastating impact of such an unhealthy habit. He said, “I would like, also, to thank the Training and Scholarship General Department for its unremitting support for the Anti-Smoking Program by carrying out its training and awareness courses in due time, as well as removing all the obstacles that impede the Program's progress.”
It didn't escape Dr. Al-Menaif's notice, also, to underscore the significant endeavors made by the Program's training coordinator, and the Anti-Smoking coordinator in Jeddah. Besides, he lauded the constructive cooperation offered by King Saud University (KSU). Meanwhile, he wished for all trainees to make optimal use of this course, so as to be able to incur their duty proficiently.
It is worth mentioning that three lectures were given on the first day: the first lecture had to do with passive smoking (secondhand smoke), the second lecture, given by Dr. Manal Shams, was centered on the ways to quit smoking, and the third lecture, given by Ms. Eman Al-Seyari, revolved around adolescents and smoking. The second day's lectures, given by Prof. Insaf Abduljawwad, from KSU, tackled the determinants of smoker's behavior, the behavioral theories and applications in terms of smoking, and the behavioral change.
In addition, a lecture was given by Ms. Nouf Al-Roshoud, meant to get the trainees familiarized with the Anti-Smoking Program's website, and the other websites related to it. The third day was lectured by Dr. Ebtessam Fotouhi, from KSU. In her first lecture, she gave an elaborate account on the social, environmental and behavioral aspects of smoking (tobacco-use). That's to be added to two workshops; the first shed light on the use of modern technology in raising awareness against smoking, and the second was devoted to designing an awareness tool to fight smoking.