Little progress curbing smoking in the Arab world

[Mosby]

Approximately 42% of adults in the region use tobacco, a figure expected to become 62% by 2025.

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Beirut - Although it is declining worldwide, tobacco smoking remains dan­gerously prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa where awareness lev­els remain low and governments have failed to strictly address the phenomenon.

Lax tobacco regulations, the rela­tive low cost of cigarettes and the prevalence of shisha in Arab coun­tries make tobacco consumption a pressing health concern for the region.

There are no precise figures on the number of smokers in the re­gion but a recent World Health Or­ganisation (WHO) survey revealed that smoking is more prevalent than ever in the Middle East, with shisha smoking part of the daily life for many across gender and age groups.

On World No Tobacco Day, Re­gional Director for WHO Eastern Mediterranean Office Mahmoud Fikri raised the alarm on the de­structive effects of tobacco use, which he said not only harm human health but have corrosive effects on the environment and the economy.

“Tobacco use hinders the achievement of sustainable devel­opment,” Fikri said in a statement, “This is why we renew our call to governments to intensify their anti-tobacco use efforts.”

http://www.thearabweekly.com/Society/8702/Little-progress-curbing-smoking-in-the-Arab-world

FYI - shisha is a sweetened tobacco that is smoked in a hookah, a water pipe. Its very strong and very addictive.

[pscot]

1. That's obviously why Europe and the U.S.

never amounted to anything. Everyone smoked.

[Mosby]

2. The arab world doesn't need any help being irrelevant.

They accomplished that all on their own.