Tobacco Dependence Treatment and Tobacco Control

The King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) established its Tobacco Dependence Treatment service in 2008 due to the pressing need to provide smoking cessation treatment to cancer patients, and due to the limited availability of such services in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Since its inception, the service has assisted more than 5,000 cancer patients, and also supports noncancer patients seeking to quit. Building on this service, KHCC also understood the importance of tackling the tobacco epidemic in Jordan using a comprehensive approach, and established the Cancer Control Office to work in parallel with KHCC’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment services.

As a result, KHCC over the years has been able to directly contribute nationally and regionally to confronting one of the most significant public health challenges facing Jordan through a spectrum of tobacco control efforts, including: training and building capacity in Tobacco Dependence Treatment; spreading awareness and knowledge in the community about tobacco harms and how to quit; supporting the Government of Jordan and advocating for conducive change in tobacco control policies; and producing research to support the call for tobacco control.