GCC urged to get tough on tobacco

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Regional health services are buckling under the weight of smoking related diseases, claims cardiologist Dr Azan Binbrek. (Getty Images)

The soft line taken by regional governments on cigarette smoking is making GCC countries a target for tobacco firms, a Dubai-based cardiologist has said.

Dr Azan Binbrek, a consultant cardiologist at Dubai's Rashid Hospital, has urged legislators to take a harder stand on tobacco, advocating price hikes and tougher legislation to discourage the region's smokers.

Compared to Europe and the United States, tobacco companies operating in the Gulf are relatively free to advertise, sponsor sporting events, and are not required to provide as prominent health warnings on packets, according to Binbrek.

"The tobacco companies are very happy to work in the Middle East because they know they won't face any litigation," Binbrek said. "We need to educate the governments. They make a lot of money from taxations but they do not look to the future."

The long-term costs of treating patients for smoking-related illnesses could dwarf current fiscal revenue and Gulf countries need to tighten regulations immediately to offset a looming cardiovascular crisis, Binbrek said. "In the next 10 years or so we are going to almost double the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

"We need to be very tough on these companies. The burden of treating patients from smoking is huge and it is not something that kills quickly - the treatment can be as long as 30 years. It is going to be devastatingly expensive for the government."

Binbrek was speaking in response to the findings of a research survey conducted on 500 smokers in the United Arab Emirates. The poll revealed that only 11% of those surveyed, who were actively motivated to quit, had discussed the problem with their doctor. The survey also reported that 54% of smokers were under 30 years of age.

Some 66% of those surveyed believed they would be able to quit on their own, even among the sub-group that had attempted to quit previously and been unsuccessful. Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said they had been diagnosed with hypertension, while 39% also reported elevated cholesterol.

Dr Bassam Mahboub, consultant pulmonologist and member of the Anti-Smoking Committee, said: "The research graphically demonstrates the potential impact of smoking on health in the UAE, as well as the responsibility that local doctors have in tackling the condition."

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