Tak Nak - why it fails to change smoking behavior

Very exhausted - mentally. Very much that my body starts to signal for a real break – not 15 minutes break for pray or quick meal. It has been 14 hours since I search and read and write and think about Health Policy & Ethics – Community Health Development - Promoting Behavior Change. While the latter is a familiar concept, the first two belong to Health rather than Clinical Psychology area. By default, I conduct and talk about an individually-tailored treatment program and health psychologist cares for the community-based prevention program. But who cares about that when you have only one clinical psychologist in the setting? Indeed it will be an exciting new teaching experience as I’ll supervise this seminar slot presenting by a Doctor of Public Health candidate. The School of Medical Sciences USM has just started its Professional Doctorate Program in Public Health this month. AP Halim Salleh – the Program Director advised me ‘don’t worry too much about the course objectives – let the students do all the work’. How couldn’t I? I’m struggling to re-learn the concepts and trying to relate those concepts to the national health/ behavior change short-lived campaigns and policies – like ‘Tak Nak' – you know what I mean. Plus, the candidates will be super senior medical doctors from KKM, who later I guess be called ‘Doctor Doctor so and so’ when they complete this doctorate program.

This is a yesterday's story.