Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday launched a mobile smoking cessation clinic to mark World No Tobacco Day.
The clinic, now stationed at the ministry’s headquarters in Al Muhaisnah, will tour malls and hospitals in the UAE for a month, encouraging smokers to kick the habit.
The campaign through the iQuit clinic requires smokers to make a pledge about quitting.
Dr Hussain Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for health centres and clinics at the ministry, inaugurated the campaign.
Dr Fadila Mohammad Sharif, director of Health Education and Promotion, said the mobile clinic will tour Etihad Mall in Dubai from June 6 to 10, Sharjah Society from June 12 to 16 and Ras Al Khaimah Expo from June 12-23 before visiting hospitals and primary health centres.
Smokers have to first register their details and paste a fingerprint sticker on a board as part of their pledge to quit. The level of carbon monoxide in their lungs will be recorded through a breath test and blood pressure and BMI details are also recorded at the iQuit mobile clinic.
The smoking cessation clinics under the ministry will follow up with them and offer assistance. Medication is free for Emiratis while expats will be charged nominally.
However, Saeed, a 23-year-old Emirati who took the tests at the iQuit clinic at the ministry, said such measures would not discourage smokers like him to quit. “I won’t quit though I know the dangers of smoking … I enjoy it … All my friends also smoke,” he said.
