Jordanians spend JD717m on tobacco products

AMMAN — The average expenditure of families on tobacco and cigarettes stood at JD717 million, amounting to 4.4 per cent of the total expenditure on goods and services, according to the 2017-2018 family and population health survey.

The Department of Statistics, in a report issued on the occasion of the World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD), annually celebrated on May 31, said that families spend around 2.6 and 4 per cent on the health and cultural service and entertainment, respectively, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The expenditure percentage varies from one governorate to another, where the highest value was registered in Tafileh with 6.4 per cent, followed by Karak, Aqaba and Jerash with 6, 6 and 5 per cent, respectively, while Amman marked the lowest expenditure on smoking with 3.8 per cent.

The department showed that the bigger the family is, the higher the percentage of the individuals’ expenditure on smoking becomes, where families of one to two members spend 2.8 per cent on tobacco, while the percentages go up to 4.1 per cent for families with three to four members.

The expenditure was the highest in families with 13 to 14 members, accounting for 7.2 per cent.

The findings of the survey showed that Jordanian families’ daily spending on smoking amounts to JD1.5, while they spend an average of JD1.38 on health services and JD1.6 on education.

Every year, on May 31, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and global partners celebrate WNTD.

The annual campaign is used as an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form, according to the WHO’s website.

The focus of WNTD 2019 is on “tobacco and lung health”. The campaign will increase awareness on the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, and on the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people.

The campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.