Dubai: The UAE is making an all out effort to make itself a tobacco-free nation and over the next three months will run an initiative to provide free counselling to smokers, organisers said.
Those who wish to give up smoking will be offered subsidised rates at the smoke-cessation clinics around the country. The first phase of the campaign will include free nicotine tests at malls, said Dr Prem Jagyasi from ExHealth, the organiser.
The malls taking part in this campaign are Khalidiyah Mall and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, Sahara Mall and Qanat Al Qasba in Sharjah and Dubai Festival City in Dubai.
"Each and every person should expand and intensify efforts to reduce tobacco use," said Dr Jagyasi.
Novartis, a pharmaceutical company, is involved in the ‘No Tobacco Campaign' along with the Ministry of Health. The ministry's Smoke-Cessation Clinics have treated 8,000 people so far who have successfully given up the addiction.
Growing concern
"Smoking is a growing concern in the Middle East and countries as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are taking bold initiatives to solve the problem," Fayez Awadi, brand manager, told Gulf News.
One phase of the campaign will involve a nicotine replacement therapy to help smokers break the habit.
Awadi said not only smoking but second-hand smoke is also of big concern as more women and mothers are taking up smoking. "The children, especially, suffer," he said. The nicotine replacement therapy will make you smoke-free within 12 weeks, he said.
Free breath tests at the malls will determine the amount of carbon dioxide in the lungs. "The amount shows your level of addiction (to nicotine)," he said.
The nicotine replacement therapy is similar to weaning drug addicts away from drugs, said the manager.
Second phase
The manager said the second phase will include educating about 5,000 consumers in various companies on the safest way to give up the addiction. "Many people do not know how to quit," he said.
According to recent WHO reports, tobacco use continues to kill more than five million people worldwide each year and this number is expected to grow.
Cigarette smoking is known to be the main cause of mouth, oesophagus, pharynx and bladder cancers. It also has a role in causing cancer of the stomach, kidney, pancreas, and is known to cause some forms of leukaemia.
Cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco products also cause lung, larynx, oesophageal and oral cancers.
Scientific evidence shows that exposure to tobacco smoke or second-hand smoke causes death, disease and disability.
