“The purpose of the campaign, which coincided with World No Tobacco Day (May 31) is to educate people in general and decision makers in particular about the dangers that cigarettes pose,” said Dr. Turki Al-Sharif, assistant director of the Jeddah Health Affairs Department.
“Throughout the world, governments are putting pressure on cigarette companies to graphically describe the dangers of smoking,” he added.
The five-day campaign is also in line with recent World Health Organization rules to stamp out smoking. “Warning pictures could play an important role in decreasing the number of smokers around the world,” said Dr. Manal Shams, organizer of the anti-smoking program at the Ministry of Health.
The campaign includes several meetings discussing the role that pictures can play in warning people that tobacco damages their health and that they should kick the habit for good.
