Officials inaugurate an awareness booth on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar joined the world to celebrate World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated this year’s theme as: ‘Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.’
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), in collaboration with various relevant entities in the country, are making concerted efforts to combat smoking and protect the health and safety of its population.
In recognition of this occasion, government health sector organisations organised a series of awareness events and activities to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use and to promote smoking cessation efforts.
Dr. Salah Abdullah Al Yafei, Acting Manager of Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Diseases at MoPH, said “The ministry continues its efforts to reduce tobacco consumption in all forms in the State of Qatar, through the implementation of Law No. (10) of 2016 regarding the control of tobacco and its derivatives, in addition to implementing many extensive awareness initiatives and campaigns targeting the community.” He added that to celebrate the World No Tobacco Day, the Health Promotion Department conducted many awareness activities to highlight the dangers of smoking. This included delivering several awareness lectures at government and private schools, as well as broadcasting awareness messages and films on the Ministry’s social media accounts to raise awareness about the risks of using tobacco in its various forms.
Dr. Ahmad Al Mulla, Director of HMC’s Tobacco Control Center, a WHO Collaborating Center, highlighted that several locations within HMC were designated for awareness activities about the harms of tobacco. These included public awareness booths at Al Wakra Hospital on May 27, Al Khor Hospital on May 28, and the main entrance of Hamad General Hospital on May 29. Dr. Al Mulla explained that these events primarily target youths and aim to warn them about the dangers of all forms of smoking, including new products such as e-cigarettes. He emphasised that combating smoking is a joint effort involving all state institutions and the community.
The Tobacco Control Center at HMC urged smokers to abstain from smoking on World No Tobacco Day. Any member of the community can book an appointment at the center for support by calling: 5025 4981, 4025 4857, 5080 0959.
The PHCC now runs a total of 17 cessation clinics, with over 4,100 visits in 2023 for more than 1,900 patients, among whom approximately 25% completed the treatment period and were able to quit smoking during the follow-up period. In the first quarter of 2024, the number of visits to the clinics exceeded 1,150 visits for 745 patients.
