UAE: Smokers who want to quit to get counseling, full support as authority launches help guide

Counselling and psychological support will be offered to individuals seeking to quit all types and derivatives of tobacco, including e-cigarettes. This came as the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) launched a guide for managing tobacco dependence for health professionals.

It offers “comprehensive strategies” and detailed steps for managing each phase of tobacco addiction. These include behavioural therapies and medications approved by health authorities for three primary groups: Individuals seeking to quit, those unwilling to stop, and former smokers at risk of relapse.

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The document details “advanced international tests” for measuring nicotine dependency. It will use technology to evaluate a patient’s readiness to quit smoking, as well as their risk of resuming tobacco use.

The guide prioritises follow-up care to prevent relapse. It will leverage the collective efforts of healthcare staff and specialists to manage preventive health programmes, address health challenges associated with tobacco consumption, and promote a healthier lifestyle.

The document aims to equip health professionals with skills to help patients curb tobacco consumption, protect the community from the harmful effects of smoking, and provide support to individuals seeking to quit.

According to the document, three forms of counselling were found to be effective in treating tobacco use and dependence:

The guide argues that tobacco users come in contact with the health care system “more often than the non-users”. Healthcare professionals can help by:

Alarming statistics

Citing the National Health Survey of 2018, the document states that nearly 16 per cent of men and 2.5 per cent of women in the UAE are smokers.

In Middle Eastern countries, estimates attribute half of the chronic disease burden to smoking. “Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are toxic. At least 43 of the contents are known to cause cancer. Smoking causes lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, and is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke,” the guide said.

Globally, tobacco is the “single greatest preventable cause of disease and premature death”. The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly eight million people a year. “More than seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while more than 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to secondhand smoke. Tobacco kills up to half its users. All forms of tobacco are harmful, and no safe level of exposure to tobacco.”

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