The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research backed anti-smoking campaigns in the UAE to mark World No Tobacco Day on Sunday.
The World Health Organisation led the campaign on May 31 with a key message to stop the illicit trade of tobacco products.
Slogans have been added to the ministry’s website and on social networking sites. The WHO has encouraged a united front against tobacco, with focus placed on controls on cheaper tobacco products aimed at young people or those on lower incomes.
Figures show tobacco kills almost six million people a year, and more than 600,000 of them are non-smokers who die from indirect smoke inhalation. It expects it to lead to the death of over eight million people a year by the year 2030, more than 80 per cent of which can be prevented among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
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