ID :
375794
Thu, 07/30/2015 - 15:03
Auther :

MoH launches tobacco testing unit

Manama, July 30 (BNA): The Director of Public Health Directorate in the Ministry of Health (MoH), Dr. Mariam Al Hajeri, said the ministry supported by it's top echelons continue to boost and modernize preventative health programmes. The ministry recently introduced a modern specialised unit in the Public Health Laboratories, comprising all the necessary medical supplies and equipment, for testing tobacco products and cigarettes as part of a nationwide programme to curb tobacco-related diseases, addiction, toxicity and untimely deaths caused by tobacco and to make tobacco products less attractive to the public. The Tobacco Analysis Unit in the Public Health Laboratories conducts all chemical and physical testing of samples received from the Tobacco Combat Group affiliated to the Communicable Diseases Department in the Directorate of Public Health. Chemical analysis include determining the percentage of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide resultant from cigarette smoke and toxic insecticides remainders, testing some heavy metals including cooper, zinc , magnesium, iron, lead and calcium which are some of the harmful ingredients of cigarettes which are the direct cause of lung cancer, pneumonia, severe cough, thrombosis. Physical analysis of samples include the length of the cigarette's filter, paper package, diameter, circumference, aeration ratio, pressure discrepancy, etc.

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