Health Promotion
                Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase
control over, and to improve,
                their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being, an individual
                or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to
satisfy needs, and to change or
                cope with the environment. Health is, therefore, seen as a
resource for everyday life, not the
                objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing
social and personal resources, as
                well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not
just the responsibility of the
                health sector, but goes beyond healthy life-styles to
well-being.

Health promoters should begin this process by inquiring of people what their
concerns are and then responding to them.
If their concerns are about smoking cessation by all means support them in their
efforts.

Sadly, much health practice is concerned with meeting the agenda of the service
provider rather than the public.  It is well known that many health workers are
not allowed to move beyond their mandate.

In your role as a tobacco-cessation worker, what is your response when a poor
Albertan says they cannot pay the rent or feed their kids because of Klein
welfare policies.  Do you say "That is really interesting, what can we do to
help you stop smoking?

dr

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