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Anti-tobacco drive begins in UAE
The three-month long ‘No Tobacco Campaign’ to highlight issues of smoking has started.
The campaign that will end on August 11 will encourage people to give up smoking as well as offer free nicotine tests and consultations with doctors. The first phase of the campaign from May 15 to 31 includes visits to popular malls across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai by health officials and close interaction with mall visitors through campaign stands which will offer nicotine tests, free consultation with doctors and ‘Quit Smoking’ membership drive.
The drive is being run by Novartis and ExHealth. Novartis consumer health has sponsored six Ministry of Health smoking cessation clinics in Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
The clinics provide free consultation and subsidised medication to all UAE residents. More than 8,000 patients have already been treated through the clinic programme.
Another initiative taken was educating and training pharmacists about smoking cessation programmes. Cigarette smoking is known to be the main cause of mouth, esophagus, pharynx and bladder cancers.
It also has a role in the development of stomach, kidney and pancreas cancers and some forms of leukemia. The harmful effects of tobacco do not end with smoking cigarettes.
Cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco products also cause lung, larynx, esophageal and oral cancers. Scientific evidence has also established that exposure to tobacco smoke or second hand smoking causes death, disease and disability.
“As responsible members of the society each and every person should expand and intensify efforts to reduce tobacco use. National smoke free laws is of paramount importance considering that tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death and also hinders economic development when smoking claims the life of the productive members of the country”, said Dr Prem Jagyasi, MD and CEO, ExHealth.
Do you think anti-tobacco campaigns should be made more engaging to encourage people to quit smoking? Tell us what you think!
Smoking is totally useless and unhygienic, so it must be fully banned and smoker should be penalised if they violate the UAE rules. Every minute several people die due to tobacco smoke only. All types of tobacco should be banned and fined. – Mohammad Zaman, Sharjah.
I really do not understand why all you people are trying to hang in the middle. Do you what cigarettes to be available to the society here or not. It is very simple to prevent new smokers from being born while trying to help old smokers quit or letting them continue till the end. You have to pick a side, cannot be hanging in the middle for such things. - Amit Pamnani, Dubai
It is a good idea but still stricter action should be taken. It would be better to ban tobacco than to ask people stop smoking. There is a simple logic it should not be made available in market and people will not get it. Even if it is found available in market people buying or selling it should be heavily fined. So that people remain careful and do not harm innocent people by smoking in public. – Meena, Sharjah
Smokers who smoke in public places & distrub others should be fined. Smokers will not quit smoking with the campaigns. I strongly feel they should be fined. – Asra, Sharjah
I’m a non-smoker. I believe that anti-tobacco campaigns should be more aggressive and more to the point... Since it’s a very big business and Governments use taxation on tobacco products for boosting the national income, thus enforcing the grip of the tobacco Lobbyists on them, I don’t expect real hard-core measures to take place globally, ever... At least, try to make people aware of the effects of smoking. Words are never enough... Graphic depiction of the problem along with a message that addresses the matter in a strong way would be more effective... For a message to be emblazoned to the minds of people it has to have an outright shocking effect... ONLY THEN will the desired message willget across. – AI, Dubai
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