President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated quitting smoking leads to happier and healthier lives for smokers and non-smokers alike and that stopping the expensive habit would serve as a welcome relief toward the financial burdens on the household. He made the statement in his address to the nation on the occasion of the World No-Tobacco Day.
In his statement, President Solih highlighted the current precarious situation in the Maldives and the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, forced to re-evaluate the choices regarding health and welfare. He noted quitting smoking would relieve a part of the financial burden on the household as the country grapples with the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic. Smoking is a deadly habit scientifically proven to facilitate serious non-communicable illnesses ranging from lung disease and diabetes to cancer, said the president underlining the World Health Organisation (WHO) had released statistics reporting that 8 million people die worldwide every year due to the harmful effects of smoking and encouraged all smokers to stop the risky and expensive habit.
President Solih went into additional detail regarding the toll taken by COVID-19 on smokers, reiterating the weakened lungs and respiratory functions make smokers severely vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, as it is a virus that attacks the host's respiratory system. He revealed recent studies conducted into COVID-19 reported that smokers are more likely to lose their lives to the illness than non-smokers.
President Solih appealed to the public to join in the government's efforts to provide a dignified, healthy, and happy life for all citizens and encouraged all smokers to do their part and quit smoking.