The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane has received a letter of congratulation from WHO East Mediterranean Director General Dr. Husain Al-Jazairi on the occasion of the MOH agreement with the MBC Group, whereby the two parties have agreed to prohibit tobacco ads through MBC channels.
Hailing the achievement, Dr. Al-Jazairi said the agreement will be effective in reducing smoking among the new generation. "Media ads have a crucial effect on raising tobacco consumption among the youth", he said.
He said WHO has recommended in its report on tobacco this year that tobacco ads must be totally banned, adding that tobacco companies spend tens of billions of dollars yearly on tobacco propagation.
"An effective ban on all forms of tobacco marketing is a basic component of smoking combating", he said. "Reports from the Arabic countries have confirmed that banning tobacco ads reduces smoking by 7 percent", he added.