Deciding to quit smoking, according to PHCC, has a positive impact on a smoker’s health at any point and age in one’s lifetime.
Around 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking, according to the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The annual mortality toll from smoking stands at over eight million and the death toll from passive smoking has reached 1,200,000, the organisation said as part of a new campaigned to promote smoking cessation clinics.
The initiative aims to increase public awareness of the negative environmental effects centred around tobacco use, from its cultivation to its production and distribution to its waste.
It will also educate the public on the value of using agricultural lands to transition to more sustainable crops that will improve food security and help address the world food crisis.
It also calls attention to the health risks associated with tobacco use and calls for effective policies to reduce its consumption.
The total cost of smoking is estimated to be 1.5% to 6% of national health spending and 0.22% to 0.88% of countries’ gross domestic product (GDP). As a result, the direct and indirect costs of diseases linked to tobacco use are high, especially for governments and health care systems.
The Primary Health Care Corporation confirmed that there is a strong link between cancer and smoking because the latter has been linked to lung cancer, liver cirrhosis, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx.
Highlighting the risks of electronic cigarettes, the study pointed to harmful carcinogenic ingredients.
Doha has several tobacco control centres scattered across the country, including ones in Al Wakra hospital and one in Hazm Mebaireek hospital. In 2021, the HMC’s Tobacco Control Centre saw a 300% surge in people visiting the facility to quit smoking during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, health authorities also said Qatar’s tobacco smoke pollution is “nearly non-existent”.
Meanwhile, Dr Kholoud Al Mutaweh, Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Department at Ministry of Public Health also attributed the low smoke pollution to the strict measures authorities take to limit smoking.
Separately, the United Nations agency World Health Organisation granted Qatar the WHO Award for World No Tobacco Day for its success in making the 2022 FIFA World Cup “a smoke-free tournament by applying strict measures” at stadiums and fan areas.
“The award comes as a culmination of MOPH and the concerned authorities’ efforts to make the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 activities smoke-free by applying strict anti-smoking measures inside and outside the stadiums, especially in the fan areas to ensure the enjoyment of the tournament for guests with smoke-free air,” the Gulf state’s Ministry of Public Health said,
