A burning issue: World Bank report sheds light on Jordan’s youth smoking problem

AMMAN — Jordan has one of the highest rates of smoking in the world, with a worrying 24 per cent of students ages 13-15 reporting that they are active smokers, a recent World Bank report said.

Over 60 per cent of adult men and 41 per cent of the total adult population in Jordan smoke. Furthermore, Jordan has the highest proportion of smokers in the Middle East and North Africa region, the report said.

Tobacco use and smoking are associated with approximately one out of every eight deaths in Jordan, according to the report. Smoking-related health issues cost Jordan an estimated $2.67 billion in the form of healthcare expenses, productivity losses and other affiliated costs.

Half of the current smokers in Jordan have attempted to stop smoking in the past 12 months, and 50 per cent of adults viewed anti-smoking information on television or listened to it on radio.

However, the report indicated that knowledge of the dangers of smoking did not lead to a permanent change in behaviour.

The report also drew attention to the fact that the poorest segments of Jordanian society are among the most affected by tobacco use.

Minister of Health Firas Al Hawari in a recent press statement commented on Jordan’s “fruitful partnership” with the World Bank in working to bring about behavioural and social change, also noting collaborative efforts to raise public awareness about the dangers of smoking.

The Ministry of Health and the World Bank held a capacity building workshop for representatives from the Jordanian government, international organisations, local universities and national NGOs. In the workshop, participants learned how to implement behavioural-based projects to support the country’s anti-tobacco efforts.

Commenting on the report, pulmonologist and respiratory diseases and allergy specialist   Mahmoud Al Majali told The Jordan Times on Sunday that most of the patients visiting his clinic are young smokers. All of Majali’s young patients suffer from breathing and lung issues due to their smoking additions. Despite its harms, most of Majali’s patients have only recently quit smoking. 

Majali’s suggested that awareness campaigns be intensified, especially in schools, as tobacco addiction is widespread among children and adolescents, who participate in harmful behaviours without knowing the full extent of the danger to their health.