Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority’s smoking cessation clinics have recorded an increase in the quitting rate among smokers, a top health official said.
The latest recorded figures show an increase in the quitting rate from 11 per cent in 2012 to 14 per cent in 2013 and 17 per cent in 2014 among patients visiting the clinics.
In 2014, the Al Twar and Al Barsha smoking cessation clinics received an average of 300 patients, of which 95 per cent were male and 5 per cent female.
Dr Hanan Obaid, head of acute and chronic disease unit, pointed out that in 2014, the clinics focused on follow-up of patients, marking their reaction to the treatments and emphasising on behavioural change techniques and coping strategies. “In 2014, we also introduced nicotine patches in addition to other treatment available. All these factors as well as an increase in awareness about tobacco hazards have helped improve the quitting rate,” he said.
Dr Hanan explained measures are in line with the Tobacco Free Dubai Project which was implemented in 2009 and the Dubai Health Strategy 2013-2025.
Since the project was implemented, more than 60,000 people have benefited from the smoking cessation campaigns, which the DHA has conducted across universities, schools, private and public sectors.
The DHA conducts three dedicated smoking cessation clinics per week and all 14 primary health care centres refer smokers to these clinics as well as provide them with health information on the dangers of tobacco consumption.
“The clinic caters to people who want to quit smoking by addressing their individual problems and by giving them medical and psychological support,” said Dr Hanan.
She explained the clinic reaches out to smokers to help them cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which is a factor that often dissuades them from stubbing out.
Dr Nasreen Kaoud, specialist family physician at the DHA added cigarette smoking is the number one factor responsible for lung cancer, claiming tobacco smoke is a mix of more than 4,000 chemicals, of which 250 are toxic and at least 50 are known to cause cancer. “Passive smoking is also very harmful, especially for small children who are still in the developmental stages of their life. According to WHO almost half the children globally regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.”
Discussing the harm of shisha smoke, Dr Kaoud highlighted one hour of shisha smoking involves inhaling 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette. She said it’s a myth pipes are less harmful than cigarettes. “Pipes are more alkaline, more addictive and cause substantially higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the relative risk of lip and oral cancer is also higher compared to cigarette smoking.”
The clinics offers medical and psychological support to smokers wanting to quit.
The DHA smoking cessation package includes blood investigations, ECG, lung function tests, smokerlyzer test to measure the levels of toxic carbon monoxide (CO) inhaled from tobacco smoke.
