Health Ministry urges smokers to quit for better breathing, fitness

The Ministry of Health has urged people to quit smoking to gain the health benefits associated with stopping the habit.

In a post on its “Live Well” account on X, the ministry said quitting smoking improves breathing
and boosts physical fitness.

The ministry also published a guide on the journey to quitting smoking, noting that stopping leads to a healthier heart rate, removal of nicotine from the body, a reduction in blood carbon monoxide levels to those of a non-smoker, less coughing, and a lower risk of heart attack.

The World Health Organization has stated that the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has faced, responsible for more than 7 million deaths annually, as well as long-term disability and suffering caused by tobacco-related diseases.

The organization added that tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as for more than 20 main types and several subtypes of cancer, along with many other debilitating health conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, all forms of tobacco use are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other tobacco products include shisha tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, heated tobacco, specialty roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidi and kretek (clove) cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products.

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