Geneva: Europe and the Arabs
Under the theme "Exposing the Temptation," World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on May 31, highlighting the tobacco industry's methods of luring women and young people into addiction through flavored and colored products.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death globally, and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (which includes Arab countries) bears a heavy burden in this regard. According to the United Nations Daily News Bulletin, a copy of which we received this Friday morning,
the region records the highest rates of smoking among adolescents, with countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt ranked among the countries with the highest rates of this phenomenon globally.
The promotion of new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, has led to increased rates of addiction among vulnerable groups.
Globally, 37 million children between the ages of 13 and 15 use tobacco. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, smoking rates in some areas have reached 43% among adolescents (aged 13-15) and 20% among adolescent girls.
The highest prevalence of tobacco use among boys is recorded in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank), at 43.3%, followed by Jordan at 33.9% and Syria at 31.6%.
"Our Region has the highest rates of smoking among young people in the world. This calls for urgent intervention to protect future generations. Let us stand together and say it loud and clear: no more tricks or deception. Let us unite to build a future free of tobacco and its dangers," said Dr. Hanan Hassan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director.

In a press release, the WHO expressed concern about the narrowing gap in tobacco use between men and women, as more women and girls take up smoking, exposing them to health risks such as cervical cancer, osteoporosis, and fertility problems. In response to the "alarming rise" in tobacco use among women and adolescents, the Regional Office launched a targeted initiative, noting that women and adolescent girls share vulnerabilities, including socioeconomic factors and health care needs, that make them vulnerable to the industry's tactics. The organization emphasized the need for governments, stakeholders, and communities to work to:
Prohibit tobacco product flavors and attractive designs,
Include graphic health warnings on tobacco product packages,
Restrict tobacco advertising and promotion,
Increase tobacco taxation.