Some 37 percent of women in the country are smokers, says Qatar’s National Cancer Society which is devoted to fighting the spread of the dreaded disease.
But a prominent Qatari woman psychologist says the figures could be faulty as only a small percentage of females might be addicted to cigarette and ‘sheesha’ smoking.
Dr Khalid bin Jaber Al Thani, head of Qatar’s society for combating cancer, told students of a girls’ secondary Independent School in an anti-cancer awareness lecture that figures suggested that at least 37 percent women in the country smoked.
He said cancer was caused by malnutrition and mainly eating junk food which causes troubles with jaws. He also said that using chemical creams for skin and hair care was another factor for bladder, kidney and lung cancer.
He said that cigarette and ‘sheesha’ smokers were the ones who were most vulnerable to the cancer of the bladder, kidney and lungs.
He said cancer was not a genetic disease though the genetic factor played a role up to six percent in breast cancer cases, thus individuals with family history should carry out regular medical check-ups.
According to Al Thani, one in 10 women is vulnerable to breast cancer and the thyroid gland cancer is more dominant among women in Qatar.
But psychologist Dr Moza Al Malki told this newspaper while admitting that some women did smoke, said she doubted if the percentage (37) was correct.
“I have my own doubts,” she said. “It’s not possible,” she said, adding that only a small percentage of women in the country could be addicted to the dangerous habit of smoking cigarettes and ‘sheesha’.
Most Qatari women, she said, were quite caring about their children and environment so they didn’t like to pollute the air by smoking.
“These women are quite cautious about their own health since they have to take care of their children,” said the psychologist. “I am quite familiar with women’s affairs in Qatar and can tell you with confidence that Cancer Society’s figures cannot be correct,” she reiterated.
There are some women whose percentage is small and they are mainly those who have taken voluntary retirement from education services, who might be smoking.
“They have a lot of spare time and they feel depressed and ignored by society at large, so they might be smoking,” she said.
According to Al Mali, the government must review the law which allows nationals to seek voluntary retirement at age 40, she said.
The Peninsula