As many as 60 percent of urban Cambodians and more than 80 percent of rural villagers smoke, putting them at high risk of lung cancer

Doctor Urges Cambodian Smokers to Quit
By Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Washington
17 January 2008

As many as 60 percent of urban Cambodians and more than 80 percent of
rural villagers smoke, putting them at high risk of lung cancer, a
doctor said Thursday.

Though the numbers may be decreasing in recent years thanks to anti-
smoking campaigns, many people continue to smoke.

The best way to reduce health risks is to quit smoking, said Dr. Taing
Tek Hong, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

"Smoking cigarettes can cause bronchitis, heart disease, cancer of the
mouth," he said.

Cambodians can find help quitting smoking by using nicotine gum or
patches, or through the use of bupropion, available in the brand-name
medication Zyban, Taing Tek Hong said.

Bupropion is a commonly used anti-depressant and should be available
in Cambodia, he said.

Cambodians should also consider the healthcare costs of smoking, the
doctor said.

For example, a non-smoker and smoker who enter the hospital with
similar lung problems will undergo different tests--to greater cost for
the smoker.

"The symptoms of tuberculosis and lung cancer are very similar," Taing
Tek Hong said. "But if the smoker ends up in the hospital...his
treatment will cost more money, because [the hospital] will do a CAT
scan, which is expensive."
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