Minister of Health: Tobacco Ki..lls Thousands Every Year, and We Are Intensifying Efforts to Combat It
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tehrawi, emphasized on Monday, during the oral questions session at the House of Representatives, the importance of enforcing strict laws to protect non-smokers from exposure to tobacco smoke and banning smoking in public places.
Tehrawi stressed the need to involve all stakeholders, including individuals, administrations, and civil society, in the fight against smoking, particularly among young people.
The minister stated that tobacco poses a major threat to public health, causing approximately 8 million deaths worldwide each year, according to data from the World Health Organization.
In Morocco, the smoking rate among adults is 13.4%, responsible for 8% of deaths, including 75% of lung cancer deaths and 10% of deaths from respiratory diseases. Data from the Ministry of Health also shows that tobacco causes 74,000 cases of cardiovascular diseases, 4,227 new cases of lung cancer annually, and leads to 12,800 premature deaths. The annual economic cost of smoking exceeds 5 billion dirhams.
Tehrawi noted that the National Strategy for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (2019-2029) aims to reduce tobacco consumption by 20% by 2029. This strategy focuses on raising awareness of the dangers of smoking through comprehensive media campaigns and strengthening smoking cessation services available in health facilities, including youth health centers.