Iraq - tobacco use increasing amongst youth..

April 10, 2009 - Findings of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey carried out recently by Iraq’s Ministry of Health. The survey will be used to predict problems the healthcare system is likely to face in the future, especially since Iraq is a young country, with around 43% of its population under the age of 19.

Nearly seven percent of adolescent Iraqis have smoked shisha (water pipe, hookah), and more than three percent have smoked tobacco, raising concerns among health officials about future diseases that could arise as a result. The fact that it is so popular among Iraq youth is a red light for health officials in Iraq and is prompting officials to launch campaigns warning against the hazards of this practice and to prepare for future diseases that could occur among the adult population.

Shisha, studies show, is even more harmful than cigarettes, because of the intensity of the exposure over a short period of time compared to cigarette smoking which is less intense with each smoke, Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, the World Health Organization’s representative in Iraq said. told The Media Line.

The report, a school-based survey among adolescents aged 13 to 15, suggested that shisha was the preferred form of tobacco used among young people in Iraq.

Overall, 13% of youth who have never smoked indicated they might initiate cigarette smoking in the next year.

The survey will be used to predict problems the healthcare system is likely to face in the future, especially since Iraq is a young country, with around 43% of its population under the age of 19.

“We know that tobacco smoking is a cause of mortalities and diseases. If we’re not alert to promoting healthy behavior, especially among youth, and prevent diseases, this will cause more risk factors for diseases such as heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes,” Al-Gasseer said.

The government is not only using the survey to plan its health system and tackle future problems, but is also cooperating with the Ministry of Education and the parliament to prevent smoking, making the public more aware of the health hazards it entails, and promote legislation to stem the habit.

Reference: Baghdad Fights Troubling Tobacco Trend Among Youth by Rachelle Kliger, Media Line - The MidEast News Service, 4/9/2009.

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Iraq has ratified the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Treaty.