Smoking rates are falling worldwide but more young people are taking up the habit despite high regional taxes, according to the latest global report on tobacco trends.
Data from the World Tobacco Atlas showed the number of people smoking has declined by more than a third in Saudi Arabia, and almost a quarter in Qatar.
In the UAE, two years after a 100 per cent excise tax on cigarettes was introduced in 2017, Abu Dhabi’s consumption rates fell significantly, with tobacco trade reducing from Dh410 million to Dh62.4 million.
The latest figures for Saudi Arabia show 37 per cent fewer people were smoking in 2020, compared to 2014 when the last survey was completed.
While heavy taxation in the country drafted in in 2017 pushed some towards vaping, others relied on cheaper, imported cigarettes.
Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/05/28/tobacco-atlas-2022-global-smoking-rates-slide-but-more-children-pick-up-the-habit/
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