THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2007 GULF NEWS

8 In depth

Smoking banned TRUE STORY

Last year, V.K., a 44-year old Indian resident of
Dubai, was diagnosed with tongue cancer. As part
of the treatment, he has had part of his tongue
and jaw removed. He had chewed smokeless
“I am angry that he ever chewed tobacco. He is
not the only one affected by the cancer. Our
family has suffered too. He gets frustrated,
depressed and angry because when he talks, we

from today
PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS IN DUBAI BECOME SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS
BY NINA MUSLIM
Anti-tobacco law being discussed Staff Reporter
Beginning today, public departments in Dubai will become smoke-free Dubai Efforts to curb tobacco
environments. use in the community are
Smoking regulations will come into effect in shopping malls and ongoing, despite the lack of
amusement centres on September 15, and all eateries, including unified anti-tobacco legisla-
cafes and other establishments such as beauty salons, hotels and tion in the UAE, one year
cinemas two months later. before the country has to
show its commitment to a
Federally, the government is discussing a draft anti-tobacco law at the
world health body.
highest levels.
As a signatory to the
According to a senior official involved in the discussions, who requested
World Health Organisation-
anonymity, the draft federal law includes a ban on smoking in some
Framework Convention of
public places, tightening tobacco imports and restricting advertising and
Tobacco Control (WHO-
sponsorship.
FCTC), the UAE is required
The provisions also include prohibiting the cultivation of tobacco and to submit a progress report
establishing factories of tobacco products.
on its tobacco control ef-
“Tobacco advertisements may become a thing of the past, if the draft law forts by February next year.
is approved in the present form,” said the official. Dr Maryam Mattar, assis-
— Binsal Abdul Qader, Staff Reporter tant undersecretary for pri-
mary healthcare and public
health at the Ministry of
Health, told Gulf News that
Alarming facts the legislation would come
as soon as possible, but they
According to a study released by the UN Food and Agriculture could not remain idle in the
Organisation in 2004, top five countries in tobacco consumption meantime.
in 2000 are: “We cannot wait for legis-
China — consumed 2.38 billion kg of tobacco, roughly lation before intervention.
the equivalent of 2.38 trillion cigarettes in 2000. [Health initiatives and leg-
islative work] are moving in
parallel,” she said.
Currently, legislation reg-
India – consumed 426.6 million kg, or 427 billion ulating smoking and tobac-
cigarettes. FAO projects growth to 511.4 billion in 2010. co use are being implement-
ed at the emirate level.
Dubai has taken the lead
United States – 394 million kg or 394 billion cigarettes. in this, by being the first to
FAO projects a decrease to 393.5 million kg, or 393.5 ban smoking in public
billion by 2010. places, to be done in phases
from public departments to
Brazil – 183.7 million kg, or 183.7 billion cigarettes. FAO shopping malls. Exact de-
projects 233.9 million or 240 billion cigarettes in 2010. tails will be announced
tonight.
Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, car-
Japan – 153.7 million kg, or 154 billion cigarettes. diologist at Dubai Hospital
and anti-smoking activist,
told Gulf News that the
move would succeed this
Helping to quit
The Ministry of Health has set up its sixth anti-smoking
clinic in Jumeirah, which began operations today.
time because the communi-
ty was more aware.
“It’s a good first step even
if it is small. It will be suc-
cessful because people are
becoming less tolerant of
smokers. Smokers support
this because they want to
give up but don’t have the
willpower,” she said. Which
is where the Health Min-
istry comes in, by increasing
the number of anti-smoking
clinics and services in the
UAE.
“Our commitment is not
only stronger, but we have
projects in the community
(that have a realistic chance
of success),” Dr Maryam
said.
The projects include giv-
ing free consultation to pa-
REGI VARGHESE/Gulf News
tients, and selling nicotine
replacement therapies and
smoking cessation medi-
cines at half price for pa-
tients holding health cards
from the Ministry of Health,
she added.
The ministry has also set
up its sixth anti-smoking
clinic, and the only anti-
smoking clinic in Dubai, in
Jumeirah, which began op-
erations today.
Dr Maryam said the min-
istry will also strengthen its
anti-smoking clinic in Ras
Al Khaimah by extending
the hours and increasing
staff, and attach anti-smok-
ing departments to primary
healthcare centres in all
emirates to “seek out smok-
ers and help them to quit.”
tobacco for 20 years. His wife, S.M., told don’t understand him.
Gulf News her husband’s story as he can no “He cannot chew anymore. He can only eat soft
longer communicate effectively. foods. I pray hard and I take care of him. But if I
“My husband started chewing tobacco when he see people smoking or chewing tobacco, I tell
was 15. He chewed often but not continuously. He them to stop. I tell them my husband’s story and I
finally quit in 1997, but the damage was done. In say that the same thing is happening to them.”
March 2006, he was noticed he had a growth on — N.M.
his tongue. The diagnosis was tongue cancer and
he had surgery in India. He had half of his tongue
and his lower jaw removed. When we came back,
he did radiation therapy. He’s OK now.
The Smoker’s Body
Every 6.5 seconds someone dies from tobacco use, says the World Health Organization. Research suggests that
people who start smoking in their teens (as more than 70 per cent do) and continue for two decades or more
will die 20 to 25 years earlier than those who never light up.
1 CATARACTS 2 TOOTH DECAY
Smokers have a 40 per cent higher rate of cataracts, a clouding of the Smoking interferes with the
eye’s lens that blocks light and may lead to blindness. Smoke causes mouth’s chemistry, creating
cataracts in two ways: by irritating the eyes and by releasing chemicals excess plaque and yellowing
into the lungs that then travel up the bloodstream to the eyes. Smoking is teeth. There is some evidence
also associated with age-related macular degeneration, an incurable eye that smoking contributes to
disease caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the tooth decay. Smokers are one
retina, known as the macula. The macula is responsible and half times more likely to
for focusing central vision in the eye and controls our lose their teeth.
ability to read, drive a car, recognise faces or colors,
and see objects in fine detail.
NORMAL SMOKER
1
3 EMPHYSEMA
2
In addition to lung cancer, smoking causes
emphysema, a swelling and rupturing of the
lung’s air sacs that reduces the lungs’
capacity to take in oxygen and expel carbon
dioxide. In extreme cases, a tracheotomy
allows patients to breathe. An
opening is cut in the wind
pipe and a ventilator to force
air into the lungs. Chronic
bronchitis (not shown)
creates a build-up of pus- 3
filled mucus, resulting 4
in a painful cough and
breathing difficulties
NORMAL
5 6

WHEN SMOKERS QUIT

r 2 weeks to 3 months after qui
20 minutes after quitting, you your blood circulation improve
heart rate and bloo d
pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting, the
carbon monoxide level in your
blood drops to normal.
Source: American Cancer Socie
ty
People say
Gassan Khazoun, Lebanon
49, therapist
“I had my first cigarette when I
was 11 years old. I hated it. But
that didn’t stop me from having
another at 14. That started my
33-year love affair with cigarettes. I
convinced myself I needed it to release stress.
I quit smoking two years ago through
electro-magnetic acupuncture. After one
session, I never smoked again.”
1 to 15
1 to 9 YEARS
MONTHS
ss
tting, 1 year after quitting, the exce
y hea rt disease
s and risk of coro nar
g functio n incr eases. is half that of a smoker.
your lun
5 to 15 years after quitting,
1 to 9 months after quitting, stroke risk is reduced
th
coughing and shortness of brea to that of a non-smoker.
decrease; cilia (ha ir-like structur es
lung s)
tha t mov e mu cus out of the
regain nor mal fun ction.
In numbers
The 2002 Global Youth Tobacco
Survey and 2005 Global School-
based Student Health Survey,
conducted by the UAE health and
education ministries, in partnership
with the World Health Organisation
and the Centres for Disease
Control, found alarming figures on
smoking trends in schoolchildren
between the age of 13 and 15.
After 15
YEARS
g Visible and immediate
10 years after quitting, the lun rewards of quitting
cancer death chance is about
half
Quitting helps to stop the
SMOKER 7
that of a regular smoker. Risk
of
cancer of the mouth, throat, damaging effects of tobacco on
your appearance including:
esophagus, bladder, cervix,
premature wrinkling, bad brea
th, 4 HEART DISEASE
and pancreas decrease.
stained teeth, gum disease,
15 years after, risk of coronary
heart One out of three deaths in the
t of a non -smoke r. yellow fingernails.
disease is tha world is due to cardiovascular diseases.
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors
for developing cardiovascular diseases.
These diseases kill more than a million
people a year in developing countries. 7
Smoking-related cardiovascular diseases
REPRODUCTIVE
Secondhand smoke kill more than 600,000 people each
Men: Smoking reduces
year in developed countries. Smoking
You are the company you keep, especially when tobacco is involved as sperm density and their
makes the heart beat faster, raises
many non-smoking friends of smokers discovered during Ministry of motility, increasing the
Health anti-smoking drives. blood pressure and increases the risk of
hypertension and clogged arteries, and risk for infertility.
Dr Ebrahim Gabir, head of the anti-smoking clinic in Sharjah, said Females:Greater risk for
eventually causes heart attacks and strokes.
roughly 20 per cent of non-smoking companions of smokers had
stillbirth, prematurity, and
lungs similar to smokers.
low-birth weight. (Infant
“Many of them (non-smokers) were surprised that their 5 CANCER
(carbon monoxide) levels were between 8 to 11, which is a light
mortality rates in pregnant
Smokers are some 20 times more likely to smokers are increased by
to regular smoker,” he said.
develop lung cancer than non-smokers. 33%. The good news is
“But, this is the effect of spending time with smoking friends in smoky
Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancers that women who quit
environments.”
in men and 80% in women, and according before becoming
According to Dr Gabir, the worst example of secondary smoking effects had pregnant or even
to be a 10-year-old girl he encountered in 2005, who recorded a carbon
to many studies, the longer one smokes, the
greater the risk of developing cancers at during the first
monoxide level of 18.
trimester reduce the
several sites; stomach; pancreas (2 to 4 times)
“Her parents smoked sheesha at home and she breathed in the air,” he said.
and kidney. Some recent studies have also risk for a low birth

70%
suggested a link between heavy smoking and weight baby to that of
Suresh Kumar, India breast cancer, and smoking cessation women who never
39, accountant substantially reduces the risk for most of the smoked.)
“I started smoking when I was above-mentioned smoking related cancers.
want smoking to be
17, and started cutting back banned in public places
seven years ago. It took six and 6 STOMACH ULCERS
a half months for me to control
it but I managed to kick the
habit through determination. I manage to
40%
of the children who tried
25%
of UAE children smoked
19.5% Smoking reduces resistance to the bacteria that
cause stomach ulcers. It also impairs the
stomach’s ability to neutralise acid after a meal,
leaving the acid to eat away the stomach lining.
control myself by doing exercise everyday for started smoking to experiment
cigarettes before the their first cigarette Smokers’ ulcers are harder to treat and more
and appear more mature
an hour and a half, as well as practising yoga.” age of 14 got hooked before the age of 10 likely to recur.

Mariam Abonamah, US
23, public relations
Yara Massouh, Syria
29, media coordinator
“I started smoking when I was
80%
of the children were able
Cigarette chemicals

Acetone (solvent)
According to the World Health
Organisation (WHO), cigarettes contain
about 4,000 chemicals, including more
“I smoked since I was 18, but
to buy cigarettes than 50 cancer-causing agents. The
stopped three months ago 19 and had a cigarette every two Ammonia (detergent, chemical found in urine)
warning also applies to sheesha, which

44%
because I started feeling the days. I realised I wanted to stop Methanol (used as rocket fuel) contains “numerous toxicants known
smoking when my two-year-old Naphtalene (moth-repelent) to cause lung cancer, heart disease
physical effects. A friend of and other diseases” and exposes a
Design by S.M.ARSHAD/©Gulf News

mine introduced me to the daughter took a cigarette from Nicotine (used as a herbicide and insecticide) person to more smoke over a long
my handbag and wanted to put it in her of girls had problems with Cadmium (used in batteries) period of time. Exposure to
hypnotist Dave Crane as part of his life friends, home and school second-hand smoke causes heart
mouth. I stopped smoking at home, and now DDT (insecticide) disease and many serious
motivation campaign. I didn’t believe at

18%
I will only smoke one cigarette in the Vinyl chloride (used in plastic materials) respiratory and cardiovascular
first that I could stop smoking through diseases. It also causes diseases
company of friends. But I have completely Carbon monoxide (found in exhaust fumes)
hypnosis, but it worked.” and worsens existing conditions,
stopped buying them now.” Toluene (industrial solvent) such as asthma, in children.
— Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter use other forms of tobacco
Source: www.who.int/tobacco L. Chumpitaz/©Gulf News