Tobacco use among Jordanians aged 15 and older exceeds 50%
More than half of Jordanians aged 15 and older consume tobacco, according to a new report from the Higher Population Council released on World No Tobacco Day, Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
According to the report, over 50% of adults use tobacco.
Of which 71% of users are men and 29% are women.
The report notes 83% began smoking before age 24; 38% before 18.
Low-income smokers spend 25 times more on cigarettes than healthcare, 10 times more than on education and 1.5 times more than on food.
The average monthly spending makes 78 Jordanian dinars (appr.110 US dollars) per smoker.
The Council stressed tobacco use restricts families’ ability to afford essentials like food, medicine, education, and debt repayments.
Jordan recorded 10,755 new cancer cases in 2022, with three of the most common cancers linked to smoking.
Annual cancer treatment costs 350 million dinars (493 million US dollars) which is projected to exceed 500 million dinars (705 million US dollars) by 2030.
To note, the United Kingdom has approved landmark legislation that will prohibit the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 1, 2009, as part of efforts to create a “smoke-free generation,”
