On the International Day of” No Tobacco” an awareness event about its dangers to the individual and society

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, held an event to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus.

The countries of the world celebrate on the 31st of May of each year the World No Tobacco Day, as the WHO chose the slogan (Let’s grow food and quit smoking) as a title for the events and activities that will be held this year.

The Director of the Anti-Smoking Program at the Ministry, Dr. Abeer Obaid, stated during the event that the smoking cessation clinics in the health centers are currently 24 clinics, distributed in various governorates,to provide advice to those who want to quit smoking.In addition to psychological, social and therapeutic support, noting that the program implemented, in cooperation with a number of agencies , presenting awareness-raising activities and initiatives targeting the young generation in a number of schools and universities.

On her part the Director of Primary Health Care at the Ministry, Dr. RazanTarabishi, pointed out that the main objective of World No Tobacco Day lies in protecting current and future generations from the devastating health consequences of smoking, and from the social and economic harms of tobacco use and exposure to its smoke, referring to the Ministry of Health’s efforts to highlight the dangers of tobacco use and passive smoking.

While the representative of the World Health Organization in Syria, Dr. Iman Al-Shanqeeti, praised the efforts of the Anti-Smoking Program team at the Ministry of Health, asserting that the celebration of World No Tobacco Day is an opportunity to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use and the commercial practices of tobacco-producing companies, and what the ministries of health and the World Health Organization are doing to combat tobacco use.

She also added that the World Health Organization urges governments to move away from tobacco cultivation and support more sustainable crops that can provide food for millions of people, as more than 300 million people in the world suffer from acute food insecurity, while more than 3 million hectares of land are used in agriculture. More than 120 countries grow deadly tobacco.

Member of the National Anti-Smoking Committee at the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Bassam Darwish, pointed out that the committee stresses in its recommendations the need to unify governmental, private and civil efforts to combat the use of tobacco products in all its forms, the need to prepare studies on the dangers of smoking in various fields and to launch awareness campaigns targeting different age groups.

At the End, the Director of School Health at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Hatoon Al-Tawashi, brought light to the importance of raising awareness among school students about the dangers and harms of smoking, and the need to work to prevent its spread among students.

Leen Al Salman