The UCT participates in the 14th Conference of the Catalan Society for the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction

The Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) of the Catalan Oncology Institute (ICO) participated last Friday in the 14th Conference of the Catalan Society for Tobacco Care and Treatment (SCATT). This new edition brought together more than 300 health professionals. It highlighted the need to dispel myths about tobacco, especially among young people, and the importance of working towards the cessation of smoking.

As in previous years, several members of the Unit participated in lectures on aspects of preventing and treating smoking. Esteve Fernández, who heads the UCT, gave a presentation focusing on the concept of “Tobacco Endgame”. It refers to the initiatives aimed at permanently changing the structural, political and social dynamics that sustain the tobacco epidemic, with the aim of eradicating it in a given period of time.

UCT researcher Montse Ballbè also took part in a round table on electronic cigarettes, as did nurse Anna Riccobene, who moderated a session on clinical cases.

During the event, two of the Tobacco Control Unit’s research projects awarded by the host organisation were also presented. One of them is the ACT-ATAC project. Developed by researcher Judith Saura, it aims to identify the predictors associated with smoking cessation in smokers undergoing treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis at the Care and Monitoring Centres for Drug Addiction (CAS) in Catalonia.

The other project presented was ECTEC-S, a follow-up study of a cohort of nursing students in Catalonia to monitor their tobacco consumption and their knowledge and attitudes towards smoking, conducted by Dr Kenza Laroussy.

Once again, UCT has demonstrated its excellence in researching and treating smoking. Through the work presented, the team has proven its significant contribution to increasing knowledge and addressing what remains the leading cause of preventable mortality in our country and the world.