state of smoking in LEBANON

smoking rate:

party to the world health organization framework convention on tobacco control (who fctc):

Yes

since the who fctc:

Smoking reduction: After Lebanon ratified the FCTC in 2005, smoking rates decreased from 34.7 percent in 2008 to 25 percent in 2016.
Bans: In 2011, Lebanon banned smoking in most enclosed public places, but the law enables hotels to allocate 20 percent of their capacity for smokers. The government also banned tobacco advertising in television, radio, print media, and point of sale in 2012. The minimum age to smoke or purchase tobacco is 18 years old.
Health warnings: All tobacco products require a text warning on the front and back of the packaging. Legislation in 2011 expanded the minimum requirement for those warnings to 40 percent of the packaging surface area.
Tobacco tax rates: The tobacco tax rate in Lebanon is 41 percent.

regulatory environment:

Lebanon’s Tobacco Control and Regulation of Tobacco Products’ Manufacturing, Packaging and Advertising (Law No. 174) prohibits the advertising and promotion of tobacco products in traditional and electronic media. The law regulates all tobacco products the same, including cigarettes, smokeless products, e-cigarettes, and heat-not-burn products. Smoking, vaping, and use of heat-not-burn products is banned in hospitals, schools, and many public buildings in Lebanon, and regulations mandate health warnings must occupy 40 percent of tobacco packaging’s surface area.

media dialogue:

Recent media coverage in Lebanon tends to focus on the country’s e-cigarette ban, health concerns surrounding e-cigarettes, and the influence of e-cigarettes on young people. Because of the ban, some smokers have become involved in the illegal trading and use of e-cigarettes. Coverage also notes the recent boost to Lebanon’s tobacco farming, as the country accepts more Syrian refugees who also smoke at high rates.

views of alternatives to smoking:

The Lebanese government has stated that there are no studies regarding the health effects of e-cigarettes. Because of the tobacco industry’s influence on the government and the government’s control of the media, Lebanese people are often told that e-cigarettes are potentially more harmful than standard cigarettes and are a danger to Lebanese youth.

by the numbers:

Approximately 1.1 million people ages 18 and older currently smoke.
Lebanon is ranked third in the world for highest cigarette consumption per capita.
Approximately 3,500 people die every year in Lebanon because of tobacco-related diseases .
2,038 cigarettes on average are smoked per person per year.

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Smoke-Free World @SmokeFreeFdn·

11 Jul

#TobaccoHarmReduction has been used since the invention of nicotine gum and the nicotine patch. Derek Yach explains on @RegWatchCanada that the only thing that changed in #THR is that the products are now more enticing to consumers who do not like to stick on a patch or chew gum.

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Smoke-Free World @SmokeFreeFdn·

9 Jul

Smoking rates are disproportionately high among people in the rainbow and indigenous communities, as well as those with mental health conditions. A new analysis explores the ways in which these groups are systematically neglected by tobacco control efforts https://bit.ly/2VYbJ5T

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Smoke-Free World @SmokeFreeFdn·

8 Jul

In @SAMedicalAssoc, Derek Yach @swimdaily discusses South Africa’s sudden #tobaccoban. Derek points out that #prohibition and bans have never been successful; the only successful way forward must be driven by strong evidence and industry collaboration. https://bit.ly/2Ck2aYk

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derek yach @swimdaily·

7 Jul

Why Cigarette Sales Are Outperforming Expectations Despite A Pandemic Many messages. #ecigs accelerate efforts to #endsmoking ; @FDA actions could aid this but confusion is driving some #ecig users back to #cigarettes ⁦@SmokeFreeFdn⁩ ⁦@Forbes⁩ https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesnorton/2020/07/06/why-cigarette-sales-are-outperforming-expectations-despite-a-pandemic/

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Smoke-Free World @SmokeFreeFdn·

6 Jul

.@VillooMpatell, founder of @avesthagen is on the Global Health Perspectives podcast with Derek Yach. Dr. Morawala-Patell helped launch a genetic database of India’s Zoroastrian community. The Zoroastrian community has strict cultural rules against smoking https://bit.ly/3iBMBeY

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state of smoking in LEBANON

smoking rate:

party to the world health organization framework convention on tobacco control (who fctc):

since the who fctc:

regulatory environment:

media dialogue:

views of alternatives to smoking:

by the numbers:

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