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If tobacco addiction is the most preventable cause of death, why is it not treated as a scourge threatening human health? This is a limitless plague, such as climate change, but we do not see any serious attempt to reduce the harm caused by smoking, especially in the Arab region.
Some parts of the world are considered more appropriate for preventing nicotine patches. In Europe, tobacco sales have decreased by at least 38% in the past 20 years thanks to awareness campaigns and tobacco control measures. These sales seem to be heading for further declines.
We can not say the same for Africa and the Middle East: in both regions, the number of smokers is expected to reach 180 million by 2025, twice as much as in the beginning of 21st century. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it expects the number of African smokers to increase by 40% in 2025 compared to 2010. This tragic situation is largely due to a lack of social awareness and a lack of political will. These factors create inadequate policies in this area in the Arab and specifically African region.
Government complacency
A whole body of evidence shows the persistent complacency of the governments of these regions. Even without scientific statistics or expensive surveys, storybooks show a depressing reality.
Communities have unbelievably false misconceptions about the scourge of smoking. Some young Arabs will tell you that smoking "clears the lungs", while young women still believe that "light" cigarettes are female and non-harmful cigarettes, and that many women smoke chisha.
This practice is prevalent in North Africa in the same way that the Middle East has been swept away in recent years. Cancer statistics in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria have always shown serious health problems: the growing acceptance of shisha tobacco by women in the Maghreb exposes families, including children, to second-hand smoke .
Arab officials seem eager to collect tax revenues from the tobacco trade, fearing that high prices will limit their revenues or push consumers to an informal sector to reach their destination.
On the political front, it is clear that Arab governments have failed to convince smokers to stop smoking in order to stay healthy. Laws and regulations have been promulgated in many countries of the Arab world to restrict or prohibit smoking, but the political will to impose it has been weak.
Despite their adverse health effects and the costs borne by the state, in terms of medical costs and the lack of treatment mechanisms for certain diseases resulting from the practice, most politicians do not consider the problem as an urgent priority.
Some politicians who do not look to the future may argue that it is best not to put extra pressure on young people frustrated with the lack of employment because of a whole series of restrictions on the sale and consumption of cigarettes: their rhetoric was to say that allowing young people to risk lung cancer could enhance their professional potential.
Others believe that some governments enjoy the desired economic and social stability. To maintain this stability, policymakers respond to restaurant owners who oppose smoking restrictions and ignore smoking and its effects because it provides happiness. to consumers and revive the business cycle.
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