Community campaigns generate strong results

Experts see a significant increase in the number of people in the Oasis City attending smoking cessation clinics. The good success rate is being attributed to community education drives aimed at raising public awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use. "It is imperative that we continue to combat tobacco use by sustaining our drive to educate the community," said George Jepson, the CEO of Al Ain Hospital, highlighting the success of the hospital's recent campaign called ‘Smoking is poison'. A series of events were held at different schools, shopping malls as well as at the hospital's family medicine centres and outpatient departments. It has been a year since the hospital declared itself a no-smoking zone. "The positive is that there has been a significant increase in the number of people attending our smoking cessation clinics," said Jepson. Quoting environment agency statistics, a hospital spokesperson said some 31 per cent of Abu Dhabi residents smoke some form of tobacco. Professor Gerhard Schwab, medical director of the hospital, said: "We will be working very closely with the Al Ain community to raise awareness, conducting campaigns in their midst in schools, malls and family medicine centres is a step in that direction." During the campaign, students aged between 13 and 17 were given lectures at their schools. The hospital also arranged daily sessions at its Family Medicine Centres. Educational material was distributed at the centres and outpatient departments, highlighting the dangers of tobacco and offering insights about a smoking-free lifestyle. Activities organised at Al Ain Mall and Jimi Mall included lung function tests, blood pressure monitoring, free counselling and outlining the hospital's schemes to help people quit smoking. From / Gulf News