On the International Day of No Tobacco, Syria continues its awareness activities and legislations required to combat it

Data from the World Health Organization indicate that more than 8 million people worldwide die annually from smoking, one million of whom are non-smokers who are classified as passive smokers

With the aim of raising awareness of the dangers of tobacco in all its types, the United Nations designated the 31st of May as an international day to refrain from smoking and to raise awareness of its health and economic risks to the individual, family and society.

For that purpose Syria designated 24 clinics to help quit smoking in Syria, and the Anti-Smoking Program at the Ministry of Health continues to implement activities and awareness campaigns in schools and universities, according to the Program Director, Dr. Abeer Obaid, stressing the importance of sharing the work of by various sectors, ministries and institutions to prevent smoking and publicize its dangers.

Dr. Obaid indicated that there are 24 clinics to help those who want to quit smoking, distributed in health centers and a number of hospitals in the governorates, and provide services within a protocol for psychological and pharmacological treatment for those wishing to quit smoking of all ages, as well as diagnostic services for diseases resulting from it in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Over the past year, the number of visitors to these clinics has reached more than a thousand people.

Anti-smoking campaigns…

Dr. Obeid indicated that the Anti-Smoking Program in Syria implemented, during the years 2015-2022, a number of awareness campaigns, after training a medical team that includes more than 40 doctors and health workers, and electronic scientific material was prepared that is considered a health training kit.

Tobacco products contain 7,000 harmful substances.

Industrial health and occupational medicine specialist Dr. Bassam Abu al-Dahab explained that tobacco products contain 7,000 harmful substances, including 50 to 60 carcinogens, and that tobacco products kill half the number of those who use them, with one person dying every 4 seconds as a result of tobacco products.

Leen Al Salman