RIYADH: Smoking kills more people every year than traffic accidents and hard drugs, according to the Ministry of Health, a local publication reported recently.
Jamal Abdullah Basahi, a tobacco control specialist at the ministry, was quoted as saying that the government also has to bear increasing costs associated with health problems caused by smoking, including heart attacks, atherosclerosis and lung cancer.
Basahi was speaking during a television talk show produced annually in Ramadan by the ministry’s National Center for Health Promotion and Information. He said it was not easy to quit because nicotine is an addictive substance. “Tobacco may be the hardest unhealthy habit that humans try to give up,” he said, and advised people to seek specialist help.
He said passive smoking was extremely harmful because the toxic gases were still present in the smoke exhaled by smokers, particularly for children. He said some studies have linked smoking with rising levels of blood sugar among people with diabetes because of the nicotine, and people with diabetes had other complications if they are smokers.
“It is only natural that a smoker feels the desire to smoke after quitting because the habit is addictive. But there are alternatives to cigarettes in the form of pharmaceutical substances such as chewing gum and stickers, which help them to quit,” he said.
He said studies have shown that smoking causes several types of cancer, most notably lung cancer. “If urgent action is not taken, the number of deaths as the result of smoking will increase to more than 8 million by 2030,” he said.
Smoking kills more people than road accidents
Smoking kills more people than road accidents
14 sculptures go on display at public spaces in Riyadh
- The works were chosen by Riyadh Art from its international Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium to reflect its ‘vision of weaving beauty and intellect into the city’s fabric’
- Initiative aligns with efforts to make art a key part of city’s identity that improves quality of life and promotes the cultural economy, says Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s Khalid Al-Hazani
RIYADH: Fourteen sculptures selected from the annual international Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium, a Riyadh Art program, went on display on Wednesday at three prominent public spaces across the Saudi capital: ROSHN Front, the SEDRA residential community, and Sports Boulevard.
The project is part of Riyad Art’s efforts to showcase artworks in public spaces, and the addition of more works in other places is expected later.
Khalid Al-Hazani, the executive vice president of the lifestyle sector at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, said: “This step reflects (Riyadh Art’s) vision of weaving beauty and intellect into the city’s fabric, and creating vibrant and culturally rich public spaces, allowing art to become an integral part of people’s daily lives.”
It is also in line with Riyadh Art’s broader strategy for transforming the city into an open-air art gallery, he added, thereby “turning art into a central element of the city’s identity and a key contributor to improving quality of life and promoting the cultural economy.”
The three chosen locations were considered perfect places to host the artworks because of their vibrancy, strong community connections and accessibility, Al-Hazani noted.
“This provides residents and visitors with the opportunity to engage with the sculptures in their everyday lives,” he said.
Seven of the sculptures have been installed at ROSHN Front, considered a key urban hub. The artworks on display there form a thought-provoking artistic landscape that encourages interaction, organizers said, and explores a number of themes including the values of urban transformation, community spirit, and creative curiosity.
Three sculptures are on display at the SEDRA residential community. Chosen to complement its serene character and nature-integrated urban planning, they blend in with their surroundings to reflect the values of environmental harmony, contemplation and renewal, organizers explained.
The remaining four sculptures are at Sports Boulevard, known for its open, green spaces. These works reflect several concepts, in particular ideas of nature, balance and public health.
All of the sculptures are part of Riyadh Art’s permanent collection, which includes works created by local and international artists during the Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium.
