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Ammon News - Calls on Jordanians to quit smoking and resist tobacco cravings have grown much louder as the Kingdom continues to be one of a handful of world countries that have the highest smoking rates per capita.

On the "World No Tobacco Day" which falls today, May 31st, officials and advocates once again sound the alarm of a large number of smokers and wide nicotine addiction.

Her Highness Princess Dina Mired, a Global Ambassador for Tobacco-Free Portfolios, said Monday that the Kingdom’s tobacco use status was "worrying", stressing that "protecting our health has never been as important as it has been during the coronavirus pandemic".

Princess Dina, who has recently been awarded the "World No Tobacco Day" award for her contributions in the fight against tobacco, said that "everyone in Jordan now has the opportunity to quit smoking." Her Highness made the remarks as she opened a staff-dedicated "quit smoking" clinic in the ministry of health.

She added that Jordan was the first country in the world to receive a donation of nicotine replacement therapy provided by Johnson & Johnson in partnership with the "Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco (AIQT)" of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The donation, at an estimated retail value of about US$800,000, aims to support thousands of Jordanians and refugees quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Minister of Health Firas Hawari said that the smoking "epidemic" is a leading cause of non-communicable diseases, namely heart and lung diseases, and cancers.

Hawari pledged that his ministry will continue to work to ensure that all the tools and policies needed to reduce smoking rates are in place.

WHO Representative in Jordan, Maria Cristina Profili, stressed that Jordan needs to pursue robust tobacco control if it u to promote healthy lifestyles and safeguard the well-being of all.

In turn, the Director of the Health Awareness and Information Department at the Ministry of Health, Abeer Mouswes, explained that any smoker who wants to quit can obtain free-of-charge medical advice and medicines from designated smoking cessation services available nationwide.

She pointed out that there is a national hotline number (065004546) that offers information related to smoking cessation services provided by the ministry.

Mouswes indicated that there is sufficient evidence that counseling and medication can more than double the chance of quitting smoking, as the pandemic revealed that smoking cessation is more important than ever.

A 2019 survey by the Ministry of Health and the WHO revealed that 82 percent of adult males in Jordan are addicted to nicotine, which unfortunately places the Kingdom among a few world countries with the highest smoking rates.

(Petra)