Dubai, May 27: With an increase in the number of women smokers in the country who currently constitute 14 per cent of smokers here, Dubai Municipality has launched an awareness campaign targeting women and girls.
The ‘Tobacco-free Women’ campaign launched on Wednesday will continue till May 31, the World No Tobacco Day, the theme of which this year is ‘Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women’.
According to the World Health Organization, women comprise about 20 per cent of the world’s smokers, whose number amounts to more than a billion.
Women are also subjected to passive smoking, which is especially dangerous to pregnant women and their babies. The focus has been put on women this time also because they are targeted by tobacco companies to promote their products.
“There is an increase in the number of women smokers in the country with 14 per cent of the smokers in the UAE, especially shisha smokers are women,” the Municipality said in a Press release.
The DM campaign, which will be held in shopping malls and ladies clubs, will spread awareness about the dangers of smoking to health and beauty to discourage women from the habit of smoking any type of tobacco and preventing them from exposing to passing smoking.
The campaign also supports women interested in quitting smoking by giving them treatment services. Such women are also encouraged by giving special gifts.
“It will educate women and the public on the dangers of smoking and its negative effects on women and society, and emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the targeted segment based on health habits, food and sports.
“It will highlight the efforts of the Municipality in providing free medical checks to the public and smokers, and in creating awareness to stop smoking,” the Municipality said.
Clinical support for quitting smoking, and free medical consultations including examination of skin, eye, and lungs to find out how they have been affected due to smoking, are also offered.
Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Dubai Ladies Club, and Women’s Association branches at Al Towar and Al Barsha have partnered with the Municipality which will conduct a symposium to mark the conclusion of the campaign on Monday.
–Agencies