Recent statistics reveal that Tunisia has the highest smoking rate in the Arab world, with 25% of Tunisians over the age of 15 being smokers.
Additionally, there has been a significant increase in tobacco consumption among teenagers aged 15 to 17, according to Tunisian newspaper Al-Chourouk.
Oulfa Saidi, the official responsible for non-communicable diseases and mental health at the World Health Organization’s Tunisia office, reported a substantial rise in the use of new smoking products.
The consumption of e-cigarettes has surged to 17%, compared to 14% for traditional cigarettes in recent months.
The Tunisian Ministry of Health has highlighted that smoking is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including stroke, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, heart attack, cardiovascular diseases, chronic bronchitis, digestive and liver diseases, laryngeal cancer, and rheumatic and bone diseases.
These conditions account for more than two-thirds of deaths in Tunisia and consume over two-thirds of the ministry’s treatment budget.
Sofiane Kamoun, head of the anti-smoking committee at Habib Thamer University Hospital in Tunis, emphasized that Tunisia ranks first in the Arab world for smoking prevalence.
He noted that half of Tunisian men over the age of 30 have tried smoking at least once, and one in six children aged 12 to 18 have experimented with smoking.
The statistics and figures related to smoking in Tunisia are alarming, indicating a rise in tobacco consumption among both men and women, as well as among adolescents. On a positive note, doctors have successfully helped 400 out of 600 patients quit smoking permanently.
