Surge in numbers of patients looking to quit smoking in 2018

ABU DHABI, 24th January, 2018 (WAM) -- Experts at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have said that the hospital is looking to expand its Smoking Cessation programme over the coming year, after almost 200 patients followed the programme in 2017, in response to rising demand. "As well as being the world’s biggest preventable cause of cancer, smoking increases your chances of having a fatal heart attack and increases your risk of developing complications from diabetes," Iyaad Hasan, a certified tobacco treatment specialist who leads the programme, said. "More people are coming to us looking for help in quitting, as awareness is rising about the long-term health risks of smoking and its impact on the wider community," he added. Replicating the successful programme from Cleveland Clinic in the US, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Smoking Cessation Program follows smokers from their decision to quit through to life after smoking, creating a customised programme for each individual. The programme, which is run by the hospital’s Respiratory and Critical Care Institute, takes participants beyond their "quit date", helping them to avoid a relapse by offering diet and lifestyle tips, as well as information on how to avoid smoking triggers to prevent a relapse. It provides smokers with all the tools and support they need to make a clean break. Patients report that pressure from other family members, health concerns and rising costs are among the most common reasons prompting them to seek help quitting. The introduction of a new excise tax in October, which effectively doubled the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes, has contributed to the number of people seeking to quit through the Smoking Cessation programme. According to the latest Abu Dhabi Health Survey published by the Department of Health in December 2017, cancer was the third biggest cause of mortality in the emirate in 2016, accounting for 15 percent of deaths after cardiovascular disease, 37 percent, and injuries, 20 percent. While cigarettes are the highest profile threat to public health, medwakh and shisha, which continue to be popular in the UAE, also pose a significant risk.