Smoking claims 60,000 lives yearly in Iran as youth tobacco use alarms health officials
Smoking-related diseases claim about 60,000 lives in Iran each year, while tobacco use among adolescents, particularly teenage girls, is rising at an alarming pace, senior health officials said on Sunday in Tehran during the 22nd Health and Life Conference focused on tobacco-free hospitals.Mohammad Reza Masjedi, secretary-general of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, said tobacco use remains one of the country's most pressing public health challenges, with annual deaths equivalent to the loss of two passenger aircraft every year, ISNA reported.
He warned that the age of tobacco initiation has fallen sharply, with some cases reported among children as young as nine and 10.
Masjedi said official studies showed tobacco consumption among girls aged 13 to 15 surged by 135% between 2017 and 2021. He attributed the trend to aggressive marketing strategies targeting young consumers through flavored products, including electronic cigarettes and vaping devices.He also noted a marked rise in tobacco use among women, with prevalence increasing from around 1%-1.5% in previous years to nearly 5% today. While rates remain lower than in several neighboring countries, the upward trajectory represents a growing public health concern, he said.Health authorities urged stronger enforcement of tobacco-control laws, including restrictions on advertising, wider public education campaigns and higher tobacco taxes. Masjedi said Iran was among the earliest signatories to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and called for renewed efforts to implement its key provisions.
Alireza Raeisi, deputy health minister, said tobacco consumption in Iran reaches an estimated 77 billion cigarettes annually, generating a vast market that places heavy pressure on the healthcare system.
He warned that the increasing normalization of smoking, including through electronic cigarettes and vaping products, risks drawing more young people into nicotine addiction.
Officials also called for stricter measures to prevent underage access to tobacco products and for healthcare facilities to play a larger role in promoting smoking cessation and tobacco-free environments.