It has been 50 years since health and science researchers conclusively linked tobacco consumption with cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases, opening the door to the largest public health and education campaigns ever. The ground-breaking research was hotly contested at the time, with tobacco companies and cigarette manufacturers lobbying loud, long and hard against the science. Now, it is considered to be common sense: If you smoke, you risk your health and second-hand smoke risks the health of others.
While smaller percentages of the world’s population are smoking now than at any other time in the past five decades — because the world’s population has grown — there are now actually more smokers than at any other time. For all of our public health campaigns, tougher laws and education efforts, millions are willing to risk lung, throat and mouth cancer, high blood pressure, heart failure and a slow and painful death by lighting up for a quick nicotine fix.
The UAE has enacted a host of new laws to try and curb the appeal of smoking, but too many still partake. Until such time as tobacco products are prohibitively priced, smokers will smoke.
