Smoking quitters percentage increased to 122% in two years, says health ministry

The percentage of people who quit tobacco products in 2018 increased by 122 per cent compared to 2016, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).

The number of people visiting Smoking Cessation Clinics in 2018 rose by 47 per cent as compared to the year 2016, the ministry said in its achievement report released on the occasion of "World No Tobacco Day," which falls on May 31 every year.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, this year’s theme is, "Tobacco and Lung Health," which aims at raising awareness about the negative impact of tobacco on lung health and diseases associated with smoking such as cancer and chronic respiratory disease.

Dr Hussein Abdel-Rahman Al-Rand, Under-Secretary of the Ministry’s Health Assistant Sector, Health Centre and Clinics, pointed to the UAE’s precedence in joining WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2005, as well as enacting the legislation required to combat tobacco and adopting the best international practices.

Underscoring the fact that MoHAP has spared no efforts to combat tobacco use, Al Rand said it was essential to protect the next generations from smoking and its harmful effects.

"To do so, MoHAP has adopted the best international practices in this regard, including the establishment of 16 Smoking Cessation Clinics, in addition to a plan for expanding and further supporting the service in the coming years," he added.

The ministry is conducting several awareness campaigns on the hazards of smoking, as well as building effective partnerships with various public sectors to activate the articles of the Tobacco Control Law.