The UAE has dedicated massive efforts to raise awareness among its people about negative effects of smoking, said Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) in a statement issued on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.
"To do so, programmes are launched country-wide, annually, to educate smokers and their families who are considered passive smokers. Also, a large number of smoking cessation clinics have been opened nationwide to help community members quit smoking and protect lives," ADPHC said.
The centre is putting all efforts to raise awareness and educate all segments of society in this regard. "Abu Dhabi free from Tobacco" is an annual programme conducted by the centre to raise awareness on the importance of stop using tobacco.
World no-smoking day is observed across the world annually on 31st May. This yearly universal event calls the whole world's attention to the harmful and negative effects of tobacco use and smoking, highlighting the associated health risks and calling for the development of effective policies to reduce its consumption.
Tobacco use is considered the second leading cause of death around the world. Amid the world-wide spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of the symptoms associated with all types of smoking is increased, whereas smoking limits the person’s ability to breathe properly and impedes the immune system’s ability to combat the virus.
As per some recent global studies, youths who have previously used e-cigarettes are five times more likely to be infected with the emerging coronavirus than those who have never smoked, and smokers who suffer from chronic diseases are more likely to develop complications from the virus.
The ultimate goal of World No Tobacco Day is to contribute to protecting the present and future generations from these devastating health consequences, and also from the social, environmental, and economic impacts from tobacco use, said the ADPHC statement.
