Brazil expands smoking cessation programs in São José and Maceió

Public health initiatives to combat tobacco addiction are being implemented in different Brazilian regions. In São José, the Municipal Health Secretariat provides free treatment through the Municipal Tobacco Control Program. Available at Basic Health Units (UBS), the service includes clinical evaluations, professional guidance for managing nicotine dependence, and medication when indicated.

In Maceió, the Professor Alberto Antunes University Hospital (HUPAA-Ufal/HU Brasil) is opening 75 vacancies for its Tobacco Control Program. Registration is required for the community to receive specialized multidisciplinary support. The one-year program focuses on behavioral changes, featuring weekly sessions in the first month, biweekly meetings in the second, and monthly meetings thereafter.

These local efforts align with national strategies developed by the Ministry of Health and the National Cancer Institute (Inca) to reduce smoking-related diseases and mortality.