Smoking is widespread in the world. Campaigns against smoking cite the health risks associated with tobacco use and according to prevailing research, smoking is disastrous to one’s health. Tobacco and marijuana are the most commonly smoked substances in the world. In the United Arab Emirates, more men than women smoke. According to government
statistics supplied by the Dubai Health Authority, 17.2 percent of Dubai residents smoke. The ratio of male to female smokers is 5:1. Given the high number of smokers in the UAE, there is the need to address the issue to forestall the most harmful effects of smoking. Tobacco smoking is associated with cancers of the throat and lungs. It is also associated with scarred lips and bad breath.
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In the UAE, a third of its residents is either directly or indirectly affected by smoking (Al-Houqani & Hajat, 2012). These statistics are alarming and pose a health risk. Smoking can be facilitated through direct ingestion of the smoke or through passive smoking, both of which are undesirable. The commonest means of smoking in the UAE is through shisha smoking, which is engendered in the Arabic culture (Al-Houqani & Hajat, 2011). Shisha smoking is preferable to most residents since it is considered clean and sweet when compared to cigarette, which is pungent.
Given the statistics, it is important to focus on reducing incidences of smoking so as to prevent certain lifestyle illnesses that can be avoided through attitude adjustment. In this paper, some of the health risks associated with smoking will get particular attention. Notably, the harm done to the lungs, throat, lips, brain and one’s psycho-social life will form the central focus of this essay. Smoking has been associated with addiction, boredom as well as brain damage.
How Much Exposure to Tobacco Smoking is There in the UAE?
Shisha smoking is prevalent in the UAE and the Middle East in general (Al-Houqani & Hajat, 2011). The proliferation of shisha cafes that attract volumes of visitors has helped popularize smoking. Most people who smoke shisha tend to prefer it to cigarettes for aesthetic reasons. It is usually flavored, making it attractive to people who are repulsed by tobacco smoke. Some of the most popular and successful shisha tobacco companies include the Kamber Jaffer Trading and Al Fakher, which cumulatively control 41 percent of the tobacco market in the UAE (John & Muttappallymyalil, 2013). In 2014, the UAE adopted tougher laws to regulate the tobacco industry and its consumption. The law, which took effect on 21st of January 2014, bans the smoking of tobacco for people who are below the age of 18. It also curtails the smoking of tobacco in cars when children aged 12 and below are present in the car. These measures are designed to reduce the risks associated with public smoking, which poses a grave danger to most non-smokers through passive smoking (also known as second-hand smoking).
Most smokers in the UAE smoke on a daily basis and only a small fraction of them (3%) do it irregularly (The National, 2014). Smoking in the UAE tends to reduce as the age of the smokers increases. Smokers aged 60 years and above report that they have reduced the number of times and amounts of tobacco smoked on a daily basis. According to research conducted by the Dubai Health Authority, people who come from relatively poor backgrounds are twice as likely to smoke as those in higher income brackets (The National, 2014). The implication of this is that it is those individuals with low income that are heavily exposed to smoking.
How much Harm is Caused by Smoking in the UAE?
According to figures supplied by the Tobacco Atlas, smoking in the UAE results in 1400 deaths. The deaths are as a result of complications developing from tobacco use. Most of the deaths are caused by cancers of the throat and lungs. Further, the Tobacco Atlas reports that 16600 children are active smokers in the UAE, a situation that puts their underdeveloped organs at harm. 13 percent of smokers in the UAE die every year from Tobacco-related illnesses and complications. These figures translate into 26 adults dying every week (Government of Dubai, 2011). Inasmuch as the numbers are small when compared to most high-income countries, they are alarming and distressing. 2.1 percent of all female smokers are killed every week as a result of tobacco-related complications. Some figures assert that people with some form of mental illnesses are twice as much likely to smoke than able-minded persons. The exposure of mentally ill persons to cigarette smoking increases their illnesses and predisposes them to addiction as well over-excitement. Smoking increases the likelihood of miscarriages in women and harms the brains of unborn babies. Children smokers are at a heightened risk of exposure to addiction, mental illnesses and stunted growth from smoking. Smokers also experience restlessness and boredom when they are not on nicotine. Given the high addiction rates for smokers, those who try to quit find it difficult to do so. Additionally, it leads to withdrawal symptoms, which can lead to depression and even suicide.
How does Smoking Affect the Human Body?
Smoking is associated with cardiovascular diseases (Dwyer, McQuown, & Leslie, 2009). Tobacco contains nicotine, which stimulates the CNS (central nervous system) and makes the individual feel “high.” After the high has subsided, one seems bored and tired, and the only way to recover is to smoke even more. Additionally, when one withdraws from smoking, one tends to have impaired cognitive function. Smoking also increases the likelihood of contracting emphysema, a respiratory condition caused by damage to the respiratory tract (Dwyer, McQuown, & Leslie, 2009). Nicotine has been shown to cause a contraction of arteries and other blood vessels, which restricts the flow of blood. When the flow of blood is restricted, major blood organs fail to receive adequate nutrients, leading to more health complications. Tobacco reduces the amount of good cholesterol in the body, thus increasing one’s susceptibility to heart conditions. Nicotine increases the likelihood of one contracting high blood pressure. In the same vein, smokers stand a greater chance to contract leukemia (blood cancer).
The integumentary system is also highly affected by incidences of smoking. The skin, the body’s largest organ, is the most visibly affected organ. Discoloration wrinkles and staining of the teeth are some common consequences of smoking. Teeth become yellow in most smokers, and the gums can start bleeding from excessive smoking. Nicotine leads to insulin resistance in the body of the smoker (Buka, Shenassa, & Niaura, 2014). Diabetes can easily attack a person who has developed insulin resistance. Smoking also tends to affect the eating habits of the smoker, caused by a lack of appetite.
Reproductively, smoking can cause miscarriages in pregnant women and lead to low libido in both men and women (Buka, Shenassa, & Niaura, 2014). Further, smoking can cause men to have erectile problems. Female smokers tend to reach menopause earlier than normal and increases their risk of contracting cervical cancer.
Are There any Safety and Public Awareness Campaigns?
As a response to the alarming smoking statistics in the UEA, the government has embarked on public awareness campaigns to minimize the risks associated with smoking. Upon the coming into force of laws that prohibit public smoking, there have frequent campaigns by the government as well as stakeholders to fight the scourge. At the moment, the government of the UAE, through its various organs such as the DHA, has put in place certain mechanism to sensitize people to the health risks associated with tobacco smoking (Al-Houqani & Hajat, 2012). There is the establishment of smoke-free institutions such as universities and medical facilities. Further, those wishing to stop smoking are encouraged to seek help at designated clinics. The government covers some of the costs of rehabilitation as a means of promoting large turnouts. There is also a national quit-line that is wholly dedicated to helping smokers quit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, smoking is hazardous to human health. The smokers are given advice and tips on how to quit as well as directions to places that can help. It is a toll-free service. The health risks associated with tobacco smoking can only be addressed comprehensively through quitting smoking (The National, 2014). However, this is not likely to happen, and the other remaining option is to sensitize people on the dangers of smoking in addition to regulating the industry.
References
Al-Houqani, M., & Hajat, C. (2011). Tobacco smoking among UAE nationals. CHEST Journal, 140(4_Meeting Abstracts), 438A-438A.
Al-Houqani, M., Ali, R., & Hajat, C. (2012). Tobacco smoking using Midwakh is an emerging health problem--evidence from a large cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates. PloS one, 7(6), e39189.
Buka, S. L., Shenassa, E. D., & Niaura, R. (2014). Elevated risk of tobacco dependence among offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy: a 30-year prospective study. American Journal of Psychiatry.
Dwyer, J. B., McQuown, S. C., & Leslie, F. M. (2009). The dynamic effects of nicotine on the developing brain. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 122(2), 125-139.
Government of Dubai (2011, September, 5) DHA announces results of prevalence and risk factors of smoking in the Emirate of Dubai. Retrieved from https://www.dha.gov.ae/EN/Media/News/pages/dhaannouncesresult.aspx
John, L. J., & Muttappallymyalil, J. (2013). Dokha: An emerging public health issue as a form of tobacco smoking in the Middle East. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 14, 7065-7067.
The National (2014, January 6) UAE tobacco law to take effect on January 21. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/uae/health/uae-tobacco-law-to-take-effect-on-january-21
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