A quarter of Abu Dhabi population smokes

Almost a quarter of Abu Dhabi residents indulge in smoking, according to Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (Haad), the regulatory body of the healthcare sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

According to statistics, of the 24.7 per cent residents who smoke, Emirati smokers’ population stands at 11 per cent for the years 2011-2013.

"The authority is working with a group of government agencies to promote the campaign ‘Abu Dhabi says No to Tobacco’,” says Dr Omniyat Al Hajeri, Director of Public Health and Research at Haad.

“Haad is trying to reduce the spread of smoking in the community through the activation of the Federal Law on tobacco control and through public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use in all its forms and its negative impact on non-smokers.”

Campaign is concentrated on three main areas: to provide an environment free of tobacco, reducing the percentage of use of tobacco (cigarettes and shisha), and raise the proportion of take-off between the citizens and residents by encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Dr Omniyat confirmed that all forms of tobacco are harmful to public health. It is a cause of disease of the heart and blood vessels, as well as lung disease and cancer.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), says tobacco use is the main factor causing cancer accounting for 22 per cent of cancer deaths worldwide, and 71 per cent of lung cancer deaths.

WHO says passive smoking kills 600,000 people globally due to respiratory disease with most of them being women and children.

Meanwhile, Dubai Health Authority confirmed that tobacco contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 43 or more cancer-causing one such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and DDT.

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