UAE urged to adopt comprehensive anti-tobacco policy

Speaking at a symposium on `Tobacco and Oral Cancer' organised by RAK College of Dental Sciences (RAKCODS) in collaboration with International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) and UAE Association for Dental Education and Research (UAEADER),

Prof.Saman Warnakulasuriya, Head of the Department of Oral Medicine, King's College, London, said:

"UAE unfortunately was among the countries with high prevalence of tobacco use. The steps taken so far by UAE in controlling tobacco use, including banning smoking in public places, are welcome and in the right direction. But the country needs to have a comprehensive anti- tobacco strategy which should include provision to ban advertisements of tobacco products and increasing taxation on tobacco products,"

Prof. Saman, who is also the Director of WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer, said that laws restricting sale of cigarettes to minors should be strictly implemented.

"Obviously there should be a complete ban on tobacco advertisements, along with a ban on representation of cigarette smoking and tobacco use in films and plays. It is needed because onscreen representation of smoking is likely to draw teenagers to adopt the habit."he said

"Another area of concern has been the display of cigarette packets at the counters of shops and supermarkets. In UK, the authorities have recently taken steps to prohibit display of cigarette packets at point of sales as it would make people buy them impulsively".

Prof. Saman also called upon health authorities to conduct research on the ill- effects of Shisha or water pipe smoking. "It is an area where we don't have much research and I very much encourage UAE authorities to have some research on the ill- effects of water pipe smoking as we know that no tobacco is safe," he added.

He said that tobacco use is negatively impacting developing countries the most as around 900 million, of the total of 1.3 billion smokers, are from developing countries. Around 5 million people die every year as a result of tobacco use, posing an enormous global social and economic burden. By 2020 it is estimated that there will be ten million deaths per year as a consequence of tobacco use and 70 percent of that will be from developing countries," he added.

Prof. Saman said that one- third of all cancers worldwide are attributed to use of tobacco. "When it comes to lung cancer, two- thirds or more are caused by smoking alone," he added.

Earlier, Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Ruler's Private Affairs Department, inaugurated the symposium and the International Medical Sciences Academy Conference (IMASCON 2008). Dr. Ali Shaker, Under Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. K Jagadeesan, President, IMSA, Dr. Yasser Al Nuaimi, CME Director, Ministry of Health, Dr. Gurumadhva Rao, Vice Chancellor, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Prof. Shaheena Asif, IMASCON 2008 Organising Chairperson, and Prof. S R Prabhu, Dean of RAKCODS and President of UAE Association for Dental Education and Research, spoke at the function.

As many as twelve international and local speakers from UK, India, Pakistan and UAE presented papers at the conference. The symposium was targeted at medical and dental practitioners and other health care workers in UAE.