The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will intensify its anti-tobacco initiatives through its cessation clinics and campaigns especially targeting school children aged 12-21, an official said Sunday.
"Through our smoking awareness campaigns which we have conducted in 2010 and this year, we realised that there is an urgent need to create regular community awareness activities with regard to tobacco use because of the significant number of youngsters using tobacco," Dr Hanan Obaid, Head of Community Health Services Programs Section at the DHA, said.
"They are our productive population and are at a high risk of developing diseases "caused by long-term use of tobacco," she added.
According to the World Health Organization, young people who smoke may develop respiratory and non-respiratory effects, addiction to nicotine, and shortness of breath.
They could have a lower level of lung function and reduced rate of lung growth compared to those who have never smoked.
In 2010, the DHA conducted 98 anti-smoking campaigns targeting 6,221 people from various schools, colleges, malls, government institutions, and sports clubs.
The data collected from these institutions prompted the DHA to reach out to more schools in Dubai.
"We screened 2,457 students in Dubai schools both government and private schools. We found the prevalence of tobacco use among school students in Dubai is 14.6% while the percentage of passive smoking among school children is 29.1%. These are children under the age of 20 using tobacco, so we can only imagine the long term health complications that they are at a risk of developing," Dr. Obaid said.
Based on the type of tobacco used, cigarettes are the most popular with 11.2 per cent usage. Next in the list is the shisha with 2.2 per cent, pipe with 1.9 per cent, cigar with 0.8 per cent, while 0.8 per cent used chewed tobacco.
The DHA plans to regularly visit schools and colleges by 2012 to educate young people who are more prone to using tobacco as a way of relieving stress. Dr. Obaid said they hope to reach out to 80,000 students over the next six months.
