WHO urges tough tobacco control to improve peoples' health

The ongoing 16th world conference on tobacco or health discussed on Wednesday the methods of reducing global cigarette consumption as well as cigars and pipes amid rising smoking habits in emerging markets.

According to the Dubai-based daily Khaleej Times, despite various official and private measures against tobacco consumption, smoking and its impact on peoples' health remains a significant global challenge, experts said at the conference held under the theme "tobacco and non-communicable diseases."

Khaleej Times quoted Eduardo D'Espaignet, tobacco control department coordinator at the World Health Organization (WHO) as saying that the latest statistics showed that six million people die annually from smoking-related causes with most cases affiliated to diseases such as cancer.

He added that the WHO and its 179 member states are attempting to manage a U-turn, albeit smoking was on the rise in emerging markets, especially the Middle East, while smoking in Western countries was decreasing due to rising taxes on tobacco products.

D'Espaignet said that by 2100, one billion individuals, or an individual a second, will expire due to tobacco consumption.

Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, also the general-director of the Jordanian King Hussein Cancer Foundation said on the first day that in Jordan 32 percent of the population smokes whilst the Middle East figure was 30 percent.

In the Middle East, shisha or water-pipe smoking is a major challenge in addition to cigarettes, said princess Dina.

On the second day of the conference, a closed-door youth workshop was held as part of the conference with participants aged between 18 and 30 cooperating with experts on how to put an end to tobacco use.

According to the official conference program, Thursday will showcase a plenary session presenting the latest evidence on the early effects of standardised tobacco packaging, evaluated by Australian experts.

"A panel of leaders from Ireland, Turkey, the UK and New Zealand will provide the latest updates from their respective countries followed by a facilitated discussion," stated the agenda.

The five-day congress in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi will last until Saturday, March 21. Endit