AMMAN — Although there are no up-to-date surveys on the prevalence of tobacco smoking in Jordan, an expert warned that indicators show an increase in both the number of smokers and the diseases resulting from smoking.

Dr Feras Hawari, chief of pulmonary and critical care and director of the cancer control office at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), said smoking is responsible for 25 per cent of cancer cases among males in Jordan, including lung, head, neck, and bladder cancers, as well as the majority of chronic diseases including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

If no action is taken to combat smoking, Hawari cautioned, “we will end up with a disaster on our hands”.

Figures he presented showed that 8,300 cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 202 — double the number currently diagnosed each year.

He explained that smoking is the leading cause of chronic and noncommunicable diseases, followed by unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive consumption of alcohol.

In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, Hawari noted that non-communicable diseases were responsible for 2.2 per cent of deaths in Jordan 2002, but rose dramatically to account for 25 per cent of deaths in 2006.

Of the total deaths resulting from chronic diseases, 40 per cent were caused by heart disease, while 14 per cent were from cancer.

According to recent figures, 250,000 Jordanians, or 7.5 per cent of the population, currently have diabetes — a figure that is projected to rise to three million by 2050.

Ministry of Health figures show that 30 per cent of Jordanians suffer from high blood pressure while 38 per cent have high cholesterol.

Approximately 60 per cent of Jordanian children are exposed to second-hand smoke, which affects their mental and physical development. In addition, they are more likely to become smokers in the future, according to Hawari.

Regional status

Hawari said Jordan is among several countries in the region registering a high prevalence of tobacco and argileh smoking, as 29 per cent of Jordanians smoke tobacco and 9.3 per cent smoke argileh. As for the neighbouring countries, he cited a study on the status of tobacco in Lebanon that showed that 38 per cent of the population smoke tobacco, and 22.4 per cent smoke argileh.

As for Syria, a study conducted by the Syrian Centre for Tobacco Studies showed that prevalence of cigarette smoking was 56.9 per cent among men and 17 per cent among women, while 20.2 per cent of men and 4.8 per cent of women smoked argileh.

Readiness to quit

Hawari explained that a recent study showed that 70 per cent of adult smokers in Jordan are willing to quit smoking if provided with guidance, while 40 to 50 per cent intend to try to quit.

However, only 2 to 4 per cent of smokers succeed in quitting smoking, he noted.

A recent study conducted by the KHCC showed that the four new graphics the health ministry plans to put on cigarette packs next year would increase the motivation of approximately 25 per cent of smokers to quit.

Malek Habashneh, director of the health ministry’s awareness department, said that in the first nine months of 2011, the ministry’s smoking cessation clinic has helped more than 500 smokers kick the habit, highlighting that financial allocations for the clinic increased from JD40,000 in 2010 to JD60,000 in 2011.

According to Habashneh, the ministry will open another clinic in Irbid by the beginning of 2012 and other clinics across the Kingdom by the end of next year.

He also added in a previous statement that the ministry is working on a study on the number of smokers who successfully quit smoking in 2010 after receiving therapy at the ministry’s clinic.

“The study will be ready by the end of this year,” Habashneh said.

Public smoking

Hawari was also critical of the gradual implementation of the Public Health Law that prohibits smoking in public places, arguing that implementation should be immediate.

“Gradual implementation of the law is not efficient. It should be enforced so that people will abide by it,” Hawari said, adding that implementing the law will eventually lead to reducing the number of smokers in the country.

Responding to this argument, Habashneh said gradual implementation seeks to change people’s attitudes before a blanket ban is implemented.

The Public Health Law, which prohibits smoking in public places, began a gradual process of implementation in early 2009.

The law was enforced in shopping malls and Queen Alia International Airport in March 2009, and in fast-food restaurants that June. In 2010, the Cabinet issued a decision to prohibit smoking in ministries and public institutions, which went into force on May 25 that year.

The Kingdom’s restaurants will also allocate 50 per cent of their capacity for non-smokers in 2012 in a step towards becoming smoke-free in 2013.

Approximately 61 per cent of Jordanian families have one member who smokes some type of tobacco, including cigarettes, pipes, cigars, or argileh, according to a 2010 study conducted by the Department of Statistics.

Jordanians spend around JD370 million a year on tobacco products, and smoking-related diseases cost the country almost the same amount, according to the study.