Smoking

Smoking is one of the causes of death, with 6 million people dying every year, a number expected to rise to more than 8 million people a year by 2030. It is also a risk factor that leads to many diseases.

Facts About Smoking

• Tobacco kills almost half of the people who use it.
• Globally, about 80% of smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Tobacco contains tar, which causes lung cancer and narrowing of the airways.
• Tobacco smoke reduces the efficiency of red blood cells in carrying oxygen because it contains carbon monoxide.

What Are the Complications of Smoking?

Smoking leads to:

• Hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.
• Emphysema and bronchitis.
• Angina.
• Myocardial infarction.
• Stroke.
• Optic nerve atrophy.
• Tooth loss.

Tobacco Control and Noncommunicable Diseases

Tobacco control is a key element of the World Health Organization’s response to the global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, particularly diseases of the heart, blood vessels, cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes and others.

Noncommunicable diseases cause the premature death of about 16 million people every year (before they reach the age of 70). Reducing tobacco use plays a key role in global efforts to achieve the development goal of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by one third by 2030.

Health Risks of Smoking During Pregnancy

• Increased risk of fetal death.
• Increased risk of sudden infant death.
• Pregnant women may find it more difficult to cope with the pains of birth.
• Increased risk for pregnancy complications, and morning sickness.
• Increased risk of preterm births.
• Increased risk of the newborn suffering from problems with his breathing, nutrition and overall health.

Infants born to mothers who smoke are at a higher risk of being born with a lower birth weight. On average, they weigh 200 grams less than infants born to women who do not smoke.

Electronic Cigarettes

What Is an Electronic Cigarette?

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that come in many shapes and sizes. Most electronic cigarettes have a heater “vaporizer” and a place that contains a liquid.

They release smoke in the air by heating a liquid that usually contains:

• Nicotine, the substance that causes addiction in regular cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products.
• Flavors and other chemicals.

Electronic cigarettes can also be used to take marijuana and other types of drugs.

Other names for electronic cigarettes are vaping and vape, popular names among young people.

Electronic Cigarette Facts

• Electronic cigarettes are not safe for young adults, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.
• Scientists still have a long way to go to find out if electronic cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking.
• Additional research can help uncover the long-term health implications of using electronic cigarettes.

What Are the Dangers of Using Electronic Cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes are still fairly new, and scientists are still trying to uncover their long-term health implications. Most electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, which is dangerous because:

• Nicotine is highly addictive.
• Nicotine is a developmental toxicant that affects the fetus.
• Nicotine can damage adolescent brain development, which lasts until the early twenties.
• Nicotine poses health risks for the pregnant woman and her fetus.

Electronic cigarettes can also lead to unintended injuries that can be serious in some cases due to fires and explosions, especially when charging their batteries.

Are Electronic Cigarettes Less Harmful Than Regular Cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, but that does not mean that electronic cigarettes are safe. Electronic cigarette smoke generally contains less toxic chemicals than the lethal mixture of 7,000 chemicals in regular cigarette smoke.

Electronic Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation

Electronic cigarettes are not currently adopted as an aid for smoking cessation, as more research is needed to determine how effective electronic cigarettes may be for quitting smoking.

Electronic Cigarettes and Pregnancy

Very little research has been done to investigate the safety of electronic cigarettes during pregnancy, but it is likely to be significantly less harmful for pregnant women and their fetuses than regular cigarettes. “More studies are being conducted on the dangers.”

Is Electronic Cigarette Smoke Harmful to Others?

So far, there is no evidence to suggest that electronic cigarette smoke is harmful to other people. Available evidence suggests that the risk is very low, especially when compared to second-hand smoke.

Shisha and Mu’assel Tobacco

Ministry of Health Efforts to Help Smokers Quit

The Saudi Ministry of Health, represented by the Tobacco Control Program, has worked to develop treatment services to help smokers who want to quit by:

• Opening many smoking cessation clinics in various regions and governorates of the Kingdom.
• Issuing the Saudi Guide to Smoking Cessation Services as a guideline for service providers.
• Holding many theoretical and practical courses for workers in the field.
• Providing medications that help with quitting smoking to citizens free of charge.
• Approving the mobile clinic project, through which the Ministry seeks to provide the cessation service in an easier and more widespread way and to increase the number of beneficiaries, by reaching places where smokers are present in large numbers, such as workplaces, shopping centers and recreation areas.