Smoking is one of the most widespread and costly addictions, and it remains a leading cause of many fatal diseases. However, many doctors hesitate to advise their patients to quit smoking, either due to time constraints or because they feel discouraged by the challenges patients face in quitting.
On the other hand, tobacco companies invest substantial amounts of money to attract new victims. Despite direct and indirect tobacco advertising being banned in many countries, addiction rates continue to rise due to the industry's creative strategies. These strategies include targeting youth, reducing smokers' motivation to quit, and enticing former smokers to resume the habit.
In the United States alone, the tobacco industry spent $8.2 billion on advertising and promoting cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in 2019. When faced with marketing restrictions, tobacco companies reallocate resources to new strategies. For instance, they turn to sponsorships, brand merchandising, attractive packaging, and digital platforms like social media. These largely unregulated digital channels allow them to circumvent advertising restrictions and continue their efforts to capture future generations of smokers.
Quitting smoking is a challenging journey for those affected (even though over 90% of smokers have attempted to quit). It requires multidisciplinary and persistent therapeutic support, which places a significant burden on both patients and healthcare systems. We believe that providing specialized knowledge, continuous support and holistic approach to smokers is a humanitarian imperative. Through this program, we aim to leverage technology to offer this essential service.
