Tobacco Claims the Lives of 60,000 Iranians Annually

The Secretary-General of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association states that 60,000 people die each year due to tobacco use or exposure to its smoke, and that members of parliament should not support the distribution of hookahs. Mohammad Reza Masjedi, in a press conference on Tuesday, February 3, stated that 10% of these 60,000 are individuals who do not smoke but are exposed to secondhand smoke. He also attributed '80%' of deaths in Iran to non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases. According to him, '52 diseases' are also linked to smoking and hookah use. Previously, Alireza Raisi, Deputy Minister of Health, reported that 55,000 people die annually due to tobacco use, noting an increase in respiratory diseases and low birth weight among infants born to mothers who smoke. Raisi mentioned that tobacco consumption, particularly hookah, grew by 40% between 2006 and 2011. Reports estimate that there are between 5 to 10 million smokers and hookah users in Iran, including adolescents under 14. Earlier, Ali-Asghar Ramzi, head of the Tobacco Planning and Supervision Center, reported that Iran consumes 55 billion cigarettes annually, with 6 billion smuggled into the country, a 50% decrease compared to two years prior. Meanwhile, Masjedi criticized coffee shop owners for protesting against the ban on hookah in their establishments, stating that despite the comprehensive tobacco law passed 12 years ago, coffee shop owners resort to various methods to violate the law. He also criticized some parliament members for supporting this sector, claiming that such support only serves personal profit and ultimately leads to youth addiction, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases. Masjedi urged parliament members supporting hookah sales to choose between the health of the public and the profits of this sector. In recent years, coffee shop owners have protested outside parliament against the ban on hookah, claiming it threatens their livelihoods. In July of this year, Gholam Hossein Sadri, health advisor to the president of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, reported the closure of 160 tea houses in the city due to hookah sales. He stated that health inspectors, in cooperation with law enforcement, shut down 160 out of 266 tea houses and issued warnings to over 200 others. In recent years, there has been significant debate between health officials and coffee shop union representatives regarding the legality of hookah sales in public places. Restaurants and entertainment venues are under strict police surveillance, with numerous reports of their closure published annually in Iranian media. On July 15, 2012, police shut down 87 traditional restaurants and tea houses in the Farahzad area of Tehran for 'improper hijab and offering hookah to women.' In Iran, the police's venues department is the final authority for issuing or revoking permits for cafes, tea houses, juice bars, and many public service venues.