Ending Tobacco Addiction by the Tobacco Free Generation, Endgame Paradigm: Introductory Paper & Opportunities for Youth Leadership

Tobacco
Last updated on

Written by Dr. Koong Heng Nung –  Founding Director of the Tobacco Free Generation International & Medical Director of Koong & Ho Surgery Pte Ltd. Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital

A common social challenge the youth face is addictions especially to nicotine. The legal acceptability of nicotine, superimposed onto the experimental phase of a life that is often lead by peer influence, is a well-known effect that disappointingly, not many, including governments and global bodies have not been able to address. Once addicted, even the best smoking cessation programmes by cessation experts continue to struggle as many fail abstinence and multiple relapses are common.

Tobacco Free Generation

Over the last 8 years, I have been advocating that we need to stop blaming and targeting persons who use cigarette as it hurts them too. Additionally, I have initiated an international social programme called the Tobacco Free Generation that arose from a scientific paper I published. (Koong et al, 2010, Tobacco Control journal. Proposal to deny access to tobacco to those born after the year 2000; .https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/19/5/355)

A key feature includes training youth to lead this social movement as demonstrated in the two URL links listed below. Evidence has shown that the best social outcome is one that can impact a social norm change and even better, a policy change.http://tislep.pgme.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/TISLEP2016-Benrimoh-Innovative-advocacy-leadership-curriculum-for-medical-education.pdf

I have developed the material and pedagogy for implementing a more positive programme/ecosystem in school and municipalities. This website provides some visuals of the school sessions in Singapore. My international progress is in www.tobaccofreegen.com as it is tactical not to put much international material on my website.

The Distinct Advantage of the TFG Ecosystem

  • It does not target addicted, adult smokers but instead, focused on providing evidence-based tobacco prevention education for kids.
  • Smokers, no longer being targeted, support TFG as they do want their children and future generations not to start smoking.
  • This unity of both smokers and non-smokers for a common healthier, future population is more harmonious than the current divisive tobacco control regulations that penalize, alienate and dividing our people, allowing the tobacco addiction to prevail.
  • It is inexpensive and captivating as it mobilizes the creativity and social media networks of the young people.

 

If you find this non-antagonistic, endgame approach more logical than current punitive measures in tobacco control, I am happy to provide more details. After all, we share the common vision of a better society by working with youths.

 

The opinions expressed in the article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the view of MPS YPC.

Dr Koong Heng Nung is a practicing lung surgeon who has won multiple best educator awards and consistently directed the best programme within the Orientation to Clinical Year course at the DukeNUS Graduate Medical School. He has successfully mentored many junior college students aspiring to be doctors and is known for creative teaching methodologies. He founded the Tobacco Free Generation Social Movement in 2011 where to date, has continued to get interest and endorsement from global health care bodies. Despite being a surgeon in private practice, he continues with a strong public health agenda by creating opportunities for young people to lead on international public health platform, grooming leadership in doctors and advising local government units from ASEAN to AFRICA

Awards received

  • Outstanding Educator Award 2009, Duke NUS Class of 2011
  • Outstanding Leadership Award 2009 DukeNUS Class of 2011
  • Outstanding Developer Award 2010 DukeNUS Class of 2012
  • Outstanding Faculty for Engagement Award 2013 DukeNUS
  • Outstanding Faculty for Learning Award 2013 DukeNUS
  • Golden Apple Award for Programme Innovation (Medical) 2013 Academic Medicine Education Institute, Singapore Health Service
  • Multiple appreciations from overseas municipalities for his international tobacco prevention programme.

Related

Tobacco Written by Ms Huang Wenya Naomi, Singapore TFG Advocate since 2019 350km away from home, in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, I started my first advocacy efforts for the Tobacco Free Generation. Our audience included respected members from the Malaysian Women’s Action on Tobacco and Health and young leaders from the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society- Young...

Others

COVID-19 Tests 101

Last updated on
Yes, we are very well aware of the fact that we’re a bit late to this game. But hey, better late than never right? Here’s presenting to you SARS-CoV-2 a.k.a. COVID-19 tests 101 or something along those lines. Know your terms I’m pretty sure you’ve heard various terms being thrown around in light of this...

PRP FAQ Series: R&D Academia

Last updated on
In this series, ex or current Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRPs) will share their experiences in respective industries across the pharmacy landscape in Malaysia. This article will be focusing on PRP-ship in R&D Academia. Recently, the government has opened a new PRP pathway in R&D Academia. If you are considering doing your PRP-ship in R&D Academia,...
Reviewed by Ung Yee Chien When I whipped out the book “A Brief History of Medicine: From Hippocrates to Gene Therapy” from my bag to read in my free time, my colleagues will always exclaim at the unusual action. The sudden dip in the number of visitors to the pharmacy during the previous lockdown has...

RX Plus Vol 2: Change, the Constant

Last updated on
Our generation has a problem with choices. From quarrelling over evidence-based choice of antibiotics to debating the venue for dinner, we seem to have a problem choosing the “path to walk down.” Even in the pharmacy world, graduates have to pause to think the path they wish to walk down – to take care of...
Yup, the topic of 2021, COVID-19 vaccines ! One year after battling COVID-19 pandemic and staying home through numerous different versions of MCOs, we started embarking into the next phase with a sign of hope to go back to our “normal, normal” (not the “new normal”) life. With the first phase of the National COVID-19...
Background & History of Contract Pharmacist System in MOH Ever since 2016, the Malaysian government started employing doctors, pharmacists and dentists on a contract basis with pharmacists being hired by contract as provisionally registered pharmacists (PRPs) for one year (with a maximum one-year extension) and thereafter, as compulsory service for another year. A third-year contract...