UAE Minister of Health Humaid al-Quttami said Thursday that the United Arab Emirates plans to open two centres to help people quit smoking every year, according to DPA. The minister, who made the announcement during a ceremony for World No Tobacco Day, said there were already five similar centres in the Gulf state. Al-Quttami said that tobacco causes around 25 illnesses, including heart diseases and lung cancer. The minister added that by 2020, 10 million people are expected to die from smoking-related causes. Al-Quttami said that 70 per cent of them would be inhabitants of developing countries. Recently, there was a proposal by the Ministry of Health to double tobacco prices in the UAE every two years to curb smoking, especially among teenagers.
