The Ministry of Health (MOH) intends to launch a major campaign to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking and its related diseases, and to combat the spread of tobacco products. The campaign includes methods and ideas that are implemented for the first time and will be announced in a timely manner.
The MOH stated that reports indicates to the increase of smokers and deaths due to all types of smoking in the Kingdom, and that smoking is a leading cause of lung and throat cancers by more than 80% of cases.
It went on adding that it has completed all arrangements to commence the campaign; with a view to continuing and intensifying efforts to combat the spread of all types of tobacco products; due to their deadly diseases and human and economic losses, especially that tobacco and its products began to appear in different forms having different names, including regular cigarettes, shisha, electronic cigarettes and other forms of smoking that have become accessible to young people.
This campaign comes in light of the economic challenges faced by the Kingdom, the huge costs paid in the treatment of smokers and the annual loses of youth and adults’ expenses on tobacco products and their economic consequences at the level of the individual and society as a whole.
It is worth mentioning that the current anti-smoking clinics (totaling 160 clinics) provide a full range of awareness services, medical consultations and therapeutic services that are free for smokers of both sexes, to help them quit smoking. Besides, the MOH is currently working on increasing the development of both fixed and mobile anti-smoking clinics.