Penza, 3 February 2017. PenzaNews. During 3 weeks, 37 calls from residents of the Penza region were received by the quit smoking hotline.

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The most frequent questions were: where a person can turn for help, why electronic cigarettes and hookah are harmful, how not to put on weight while quitting smoking, what harm smoking causes to a suckling baby whose mother is a smoker.

According to the chief medical officer of the Penza regional centre of preventive medicine Tatyana Batrakova, everyone who wants to quit smoking should first of all determine the reasons for quitting tobacco.

"It can be health improvement, care of family and friends, money saving, or desire to improve the quality of life, to get rid of permanent odor from hair and clothes, or to slow down the aging processes. Having an incentive, you should proceed to quitting tobacco," she explained.

According to Tatyana Batrakova, one of the people who called the hotline decided to try to quit smoking on their own.

"33 residents of the region decided to turn for help of the specialists," the chief medical officer of the centre of preventive medicine noted.

According to her, three people expressed their desire to receive support through the All-Russian hotline: 8-800-200-0-200, where assistance is rendered by specially trained physicians and psychologists.

As it was reported by the press service of the regional Ministry of Health, in 3 months all people who called the hotline will be called back in order to evaluate the result of the work efficiency.

"Everyone was advised to turn to addiction care specialists and psychotherapists, who deal with tobacco addiction treatment, at the place of residence. 31 doctor's consulting rooms for helping quit smoking were opened in hospitals," the ministry added.

The ministry reminded that residents may call the hotline by the number: +7 (8412) 45-42-62 on weekdays from 8.00 till 16.00.