Jordanian families spend 'more on cigarettes than food': WHO

Jordanian families spend "more on cigarettes than food," a World Health Organization official told FM station Radio al-Balad in Amman on Sunday. 

The kingdom has one of the highest rates of smokers in the world with 66% of males over 18 smoking cigarettes and/or shisha - and another 16.5% using nicotine substitutes. 

Smoking in Jordan is widespread in schools, government buildings and even hospitals, said the WHO. 

According to one study commissioned by the Jordanian ministry of health, tobacco smoking accounts for a loss of around 6% GDP per year in the country. 

During the COVID pandemic, Jordan took a brief breather; the smoking of waterpipes was banned shortly before a full lockdown was declared in March 2020.

But the ban, along with other laws, was difficult to enforce as lockdowns were lifted and Jordanians returned to their sociable pastimes.  

The Global Tobacco Index NGO has slammed Jordan’s past dealing with the tobacco industry during the pandemic.

"Governments received and endorsed charity from the tobacco industry during the pandemic, allowed tobacco - a non-essential item - to continue production during lockdowns," said the index. 

Across the Middle East populations continue to struggle with tobacco addiction - as over 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users now live in low- and middle-income countries. 

Jordan is among many Arab countries that do not disclose their dealings with the tobacco industry and its representatives - along with Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. 

In 2019, Leading cigarette producer JTI even received an award from Jordan’s Ministry of Environment, for its activities to reduce CO2 emissions and environmental impact.