Question

 

PHC 331

Cigarette smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. The impact also extends beyond the smoker.                                                  

200- 500 words

1-Give an Overview about Cigarette smoking in Saudi Arabia?

2- How our Ministry of health is collaborate with other ministries in the kingdom in ordered to encourage people to stop smoking in Saudi Arabia?

 

Answer 1

Ques 1. Give an Overview about Cigarette smoking in Saudi Arabia?

Answer: Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. It is a problem of every nation. Now, our concern is about Saudi Arabia. Let’s discuss Cigarette smoking in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has made progress on tobacco control in recent years. However, people continue to die and become sick needlessly, and the costs to society from tobacco use continue to mount. This is not enough at all. Saudi Arabia can still do more to make the proven tobacco control tools work for its citizens’ wellbeing.

Many countries ban smoking at different areas. Same way Saudi Arabia is taking steps towards it. Smoking in Saudi Arabia is banned in airports, workplaces, universities, research centers, hospitals, government buildings, all public places, places involved with tourism, and in and around all places associated with religion, education, public events, sporting establishments, charity associations, all forms of public transport and their associated facilities, plants for manufacturing or processing items, and a large proportion of public places. There is barely any place where smoking is not banned.

Now dealing with economy, the economic cost of smoking in Saudi Arabia amounts more than 4000 million riyals. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity due to early mortality and morbidity.

Tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of Saudi Arabia. Every year, more than 7000 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused disease. Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities and resources to strengthen their efforts and create change.

Ques 2. How our Ministry of health is collaborating with other ministries in the kingdom in ordered to encourage people to stop smoking in Saudi Arabia?

Answer: The Ministry of Health sometimes abbreviated to MOH, is the ministry responsible for the health of the citizens of Saudi Arabia.

The Minister's responsibility is to manage healthcare for the citizens of Saudi Arabia. This involves the strategy for public health in the country, while also managing crucial health infrastructure. Saudi Arabia became one of the first countries to ratify World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control in 2005 and established the National Committee for Tobacco Control (NCTC).

In 2017, the NCTC implemented the new 100% taxation on all tobacco products and enforced the no smoking law in public places including shopping malls, parks and workplaces. It has also banned tobacco advertisement and sponsorship and imposed Saudi regulations; restricting more than 60 types of imported products.

Saudi Arabia's refusal in recent times to increase taxes on the import of cigarettes is due to the Finance Meanwhile, the MOH developed the Saudi clinical guidelines for tobacco cessation therapeutic program including the expansion of specialized clinics to 900 locations kingdom wide, ensuring easily accessible service and free medications to the needy. The MOH developed an electronic mobile application providing a wide variety of services to the public including awareness, prevention and treatment. The app also has a unique system for reporting violations of tobacco guidelines.

 

Tobacco smoking is certainly a substantial public health problem in Saudi Arabia today. In the past, an increase in the price of cigarettes has not deterred the affluent Saudi population from smoking. More needs to be done by the Government in educating the masses about the ill-effects of this practice and reinforcing non-smoking attitudes, rather than focusing merely on increasing the price of cigarettes.