Pfizer Pharmaceuticals holds a media workshop

The workshop hosted Director of Awareness and Health Media at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Malik Al-Habashneh, and was attended by a number of local media representatives.

Commenting on this interactive meeting, Dr. Ahmed El Hakim, Director of External Affairs with Pfizer Middle East said:

"We strongly believe that the media play a fundamental role in empowering the public, and through this workshop we hope to be able to work together by using the right tools to raise public awareness and fight this deadly epidemic."

On his behalf, Dr. Al-Habashneh introduced the audience to the Government's recently-announced Public Health Law that prohibits smoking in public places and private institutions, which was announced effective as of March 1st, explaining the procedures and phases of implementing the laws, and the penalties associated with breaking them.

Furthermore, Dr. Wael Abu Harbid, Medical Manager at Pfizer shared with the media a detailed account of tobacco-related facts, and highlighted the major health problems associated with smoking.

Dr. Arwa Al-Khatib from PharmacyOne's Training and Drug Information Center gave record of the different types of smoking cessation therapies and available nicotine substitutes.

Dr. Sleiman Edeily from Pfizer introduced Champix - the first nicotine-free treatment and the latest new prescription drug approved for smoking cessation in nearly a decade, clarifying that it comes in tablet form and works by blocking nicotine from binding to the receptors in the brain. Dr. Edeily shed light on the health benefits of quitting smoking, and explained how the human body immediately starts revamping after one quits.

"By involving a physician, all smokers can improve their chances of successfully quitting smoking through receiving the combination of: proper assessment, the right treatment and continuous support." he added.

The presentation was followed by a questions and answers (Q&A) session, whereby the media got the chance to further expand their knowledge about tobacco, smoking, and the efficacy of available smoking cessation methods.