Welcare marks World No Tobacco Day with free 'Quit Smoking' clinic

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated around the world every year on 31 May. The 'Quit Smoking' clinic which runs regularly at the Welcare Centre provides information and counseling on going smoke free, stopping smoking and on oral health.

Dr. Pavan Kumar Shrivastava, Medical Director of Welcare DTC -Oman said, "This is an excellent opportunity for smokers to think about quitting. Coinciding with the World Tobacco Day, we would like to contribute to the cause of the World No Tobacco Day by offering a week-long Free 'Quit Smoking' Clinic to all of those making an attempt to do so."

Globally, most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10. The younger the children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit.

It is clearly proven that exposure to direct and indirect pro-tobacco advertising, together with other marketing strategies used by the tobacco industry, leads to an increase in experimentation by young people and, in turn, to the very real risk of their becoming regular users of tobacco products. The tobacco industry spends tens of billions of dollars worldwide every year to effectively market its products in as many ways as possible.

In response to this threat to young people, this year's World No Tobacco Day campaign focuses on the following main message 'One of the most effective ways countries can protect young people from experimenting and becoming regular tobacco users is to ban all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertising, including promotion of tobacco products and sponsorship, by the tobacco industry, of any events or activities.'

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death globally, causing more than five million deaths a year. There are about 4000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke; more than 50 of them are known to cause cancer. Exposure to second-hand smoke causes heart disease and many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that can lead to premature death in adults.

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey developed by WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), interviewed students between 13 and 15 years old in 132 countries between 1999 and 2005. The results of the survey show that 43.9% of the students are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke at home, while 55.8% are exposed to smoke in public places. Support for smoking bans in public places is global, with 76.1% of the students surveyed in favour.

The costs of second-hand smoke are not limited to the burden of disease. Exposure also imposes economic costs on individuals, businesses and society as a whole. These include primarily direct and indirect medical costs, but also productivity losses. In addition, workplaces where smoking is permitted incur higher renovation and cleaning costs, and increased risk of fire, and may experience higher insurance premiums.