The Tall Ships Race Lisboa 2023 
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GECP present at The Tall Ships Race Lisbon 2023 | September 1st and 2nd
GECP promotes awareness campaign for smoking cessation with the motto “Today is a good day to stop smoking”
The Lung Cancer Study Group (GECP) was present at The Tall Ships Race, which took place from August 31st to September 3rd, at Doca de Alcântara, in Lisbon. The event, known for bringing together the largest and most beautiful sailboats, provided its participants with a unique opportunity to address the importance of smoking cessation.
On the 1st and 2nd of September, GECP carried out an awareness campaign entitled “Today is a good day to stop smoking”. The GECP exhibitor, at the event venue, was open to all those who wanted to know more about the harms of smoking, as well as the options available to start a path towards a tobacco-free life. Throughout the event, several GECP members provided information about healthy lifestyles and answered questions about smoking cessation and lung cancer. There was also space for the distribution of gifts with messages that praise the pride in being a non-smoker.
With this campaign, GECP aimed to show, especially to the youngest sections of the population, why they should give up the habit of smoking or, better yet, never start. According to Dr. Teresa Almodovar, President of the GECP Board, “we believe that this event was a unique opportunity to reach a younger audience and convey important messages about the risks associated with smoking and the benefits of quitting smoking”. By impacting this audience, GECP aims to inspire a healthier and more conscious generation, providing them with “information focused, above all, on the immediate benefits of quitting smoking, such as improving physical appearance and physical fitness, ending bad yellow breath and teeth and financial savings. Today we know that, especially among young people, emphasizing short-term advantages has an extremely beneficial effect in terms of raising awareness and making informed decisions”, says the pulmonologist.
Tobacco continues to be the main risk factor for the emergence of several oncological diseases, including lung cancer, one of the deadliest in Portugal and in the world. “Lung cancer is no longer a disease exclusive to men over 70 years of age who smoke. In recent times, there has been a paradigm shift with the increase in diagnoses in men and women in the 1940s”, she explains. This trend highlights the importance of educating young people about the risks of smoking, regardless of their age or gender. New forms of tobacco (electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco), so popular among this public, also present serious health risks, an idea that GECP also intends to reinforce with this campaign.
“Our presence at The Tall Ships Race event aimed to create a pleasant experience for all those who crossed paths with us, but also to reinforce the message that lung health is a serious issue that can be approached in a positive way”, concludes the specialist.