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Nearly 19pc UAE males are smokers

Dr Azan Binbrek, head of Cardiology Department at Rashid Hospital, said the number of smokers has risen to alarming levels. “As much as 24.3 per cent of males in the 13-15 age group are smokers and 42 per cent of 17-year-old males have become habitual,” he added.

“In other Middle Eastern countries, however, the range of adult male smokers was higher than in the GCC countries, ranging from 24 per cent in Sudan, 35 per cent in Egypt and up to 50 per cent in Syria. Yemen topped the list with 60 per cent. WHO has placed Yemen as one of the top 10 countries all over the world in terms of percentage of smokers,” he pointed out.

Among the GCC countries, Oman showed the lowest percentage of smokers among adult males —15.5 per cent — while Qatar with 37 per cent was the highest.

Dr Binbrek pointed out that the high percentage of smoking was a major cause of cardiovascular diseases in the region.

The benefits of quitting smoking are great in relation to cardiovascular diseases, he said.

“If treatment for cardiovascular diseases is expensive, then I suggest we should make it painful for smokers to smoke as well,” he said.

• UAE