RIYADH: A model anti-smoking clinic will soon be set up in Riyadh to combat the increasing number of smokers in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Health has announced.
“The model clinic, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, will have state-of-the-art equipment to treat smokers and provide training to health workers involved in the country’s anti-smoking campaign,” said Muhammad Al-Baddah, supervisor general of the campaign.
He said over 50 anti-smoking clinics that operate around the Kingdom would be electronically linked to the model clinic to exchange information and experience with one another.
There are four anti-smoking clinics in Riyadh, an equal number in Jeddah and three in the Eastern Province. The clinics are open to both men and women smokers, he said.
He said health personnel who would run the new clinic were being given comprehensive training in clinical therapy and counseling. The clinic will also publish literature and produce documentary films to enlighten people on the evils of smoking and encourage them to lead a smoke-free life, he added.
Al-Baddah said smoking is one of the main causes of death in the Kingdom and all over the world. Smoking caused the deaths of 3.48 million people worldwide this year, including 13,929 people in Saudi Arabia. Between 2000 and 2004, the Saudi government spent about SR12 billion treating smoke-related ailments.
He said 35 to 40 percent of Saudis over 15 smoke. He pointed out that the smoking rate among students is very high. Around 24 percent of male students and 8 percent of female students between 13 and 15 years are smokers.
The Kingdom tops the list of tobacco importers, according to 2007 statistics. It imports 43,000 tons of tobacco worth SR5 billion each year. Al-Baddah said most of the imports are consumed locally while a negligible amount is re-exported.
Considering the health hazard and the heavy burden on the Saudi economy, the supervisor general said his ministry carries out intensive anti-smoking campaigns to combat smoking. “Although we cannot see immediate results of our campaign, we know that in the long run our message will be heeded by all concerned,” he said.
The Saudi Cabinet is currently drafting a new law to combat smoking in public and in workplaces. The law proposes a SR200 fine on people who smoke in public. It calls for separate areas for smokers in public places and says people aged below 18 should not be allowed access. It also stresses that cigarettes should not be sold through vending machines or to people below 18, and they should not be exchanged as gifts.
