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Kuwait reviews anti-tobacco experience in WHO assembly

the delegation member Dr. Sami Al-Nasser.
the delegation member Dr. Sami Al-Nasser.

By Tamer Aboalenin

(with photos) GENEVA, May 26 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti delegation to the sixty-fifth session of the World Health Organization's general assembly has offered a presentation about the Kuwaiti efforts to reduce smoking and counter tobacco promotion.
"Kuwait was pioneering in taking practical moves to control tobacco addiction," the delegation member Dr. Sami Al-Nasser told KUNA.
Al-Nasser, chief of Kuwait National Program for Tobacco Control, said an Amiri decree was issued in 1995 to protect the society from tobacco products.
"Kuwaiti Health, Commerce and Industry ministers have also imposed a ban on public areas," he said.
Al-Nasser pointed out that Kuwait is dealing with the smoking problems from its different angels and perspectives.
"This included taking legal actions, launching awareness campaigns, conducting relative studies and offering help and treatment to tobacco addicts, " he expounded.
He added that the Health Ministry has formed the Higher Committee for Countering Tobacco and launched the National Program for Tobacco Control.
"Kuwait has also increased duties and customs tariffs on tobacco products, and will impose a ban on publishing or displaying tobacco commercials in media, " Al-Nasser revealed.
He went on to say that "the state of Kuwait had built seven clinic specializing treating and offering psychological support for tobacco addicts who want to quit the deadly habit." According to the World Health Organization (Who), Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.
Tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases - such as heart attack, stroke, cancer and emphysema - which accounts for 63 percent of all deaths, nearly 80 percent of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Up to half of all tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
The Sixty-fifth session of the World Health Assembly is taking place in Geneva during 21-26 May 2012. At this session, the Health Assembly is discussing a number of public health issues such as universal health coverage, noncommunicable diseases, mental disorders, nutrition, Millennium Development Goals, adolescent pregnancy, polio eradication, research and development, International Health Regulations, and the WHO reform process.(end) ta.ibi KUNA 261322 May 12NNNN