Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH — An anti-smoking campaign at a famous mall was able to create awareness about the hazards of smoking among about 7,000 visitors.



The campaign was launched by the the anti-smoking program in Jeddah Health Affairs. It targeted visitors to the mall in general and about 1,600 smokers, according to Manal Shams Al-Deen, head of the anti-smoking program.



The small clinic set up for the purpose introduced visitors to different ways to kick the habit for good. Up to 37 percent of the smokers visiting the booth are in the process of totally quitting smoking, and the clinic will continue interacting with them and will transfer them to specialized clinics, Al-Deen said.



Khalid Bawakid, assistant to the manager of Health Affairs (for general health), said the idea of the clinic in the mall was to help smokers get over the psychological pressure of visiting a regular anti-smoking center.



The program, running now for two months, has provided 13 awareness lectures on the disadvantages of smoking and suggesting ways to quit the habit. It also set two courses for medical staff tutoring them on ways to deal with patients and increase awareness among them.



The number of smoking women in the Kingdom stands at 1.1 million constituting 22 percent of total smokers in the country.