The Minister of Health of the United Arab Emirates asked all politicians in the country to quit smoking.
Abdulrahman Al-Ovays, Minister of Health of the UAE, called on all politicians to become role models and quit smoking, as the country seeks to reduce the number of diseases and create a healthier society.
Al-Ovays asked the speaker of the Federal National Council, Dr. Amalu Al-Kubaisi, to invite all members who smoke to quit the bad habit.
"It’s very unpleasant for me personally to see smokers among my friends and council members, so I hope that the council will launch an initiative urging everyone to quit smoking," the minister said.
“This will probably be the most difficult vote,” Al-Kubaisi told him.
"All 40 members supported the vote. Smoking can cause cancer and heart disease, which is responsible for 3 out of 10 deaths in the UAE," she added.
Dr. Al-Ovays made his request after answering a question from council member Saeed Al-Remeiti about how effective the national tobacco control committee is.
"Recent data show that 21% of the UAE's population is represented by smokers, and 15% of them are under the age of 18, so this worries us," he said.
Dr. Al Ovays said the number of specialized clinics that help people quit smoking has increased from 6 to 14 in the UAE. He said the number of people who visited the clinic increased by 24 percent.
