Keep the faith and continue to fight big tobacco

There is scarce time for ifs and cigarette butts, we need action on World No Tobacco Day that was instituted in 1987 by the World Health Organization to curb smoking. Thirty one years later, the day remains a symbolic reminder of how hard it is to formulate policies that could help millions of people quit the unhealthy habit. WHO says ‘present and future generations must be urgently protected from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.’ Many countries, including the UAE, have been wielding the dual power of taxation and legislation, and banning advertisements of tobacco products to deter smokers, but it is way too early to call this campaign a success. Consumption of tobacco claims the lives of more than seven million people each year. In the UAE, more than 900,000 adults and 3,000 children (between 10 and 14 years) use tobacco everyday, and smoking here claims one in eight deaths among men, according to The Tobacco Atlas. In fact, smoking-related illness and lost productivity through ill-health costs the UAE government over Dh500 million.

Sadly, these deaths were preventable. Authorities in the emirates have been on the right track and right in hiking excise tax on tobacco products to dissuade people from falling prey to this habit and encouraging smokers to quit. But more needs to be done. The WHO says 30 countries meet the best practices for pictorial warnings on packs of cigarettes and tobacco products. The UAE, however, does not feature on the list. Perhaps, here is a window of opportunity. Also, it’s important to ask if the UAE can ever be completely smoke-free? Globally, smoking is fast losing social acceptability but in the UAE the popularity of sheesha, or medwakh makes us wonder if complete enforcement is possible, or even practical. Moreover, dokha pipes are a favourite of teenagers and young smokers. While respecting personal choices, we believe it would be wise to outlaw smoking in all enclosed public places. Extend smoke-free spaces, and be a part of the elite list of global countries where smoking has been puffed out in both public and private areas.