A recent cross-sectional study by Hamad Medical Corporation Tobacco Control Center, a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre (HMC TCC-WHOCC) found 25.2% prevalence of tobacco use among adults in Qatar.
The study ‘Epidemiology of tobacco use in Qatar: Prevalence and its associated factors’ utilised the same methodology as a study undertaken in 2000 that reported a higher prevalence of tobacco smoking of 36.5% in Qatar. The recent study included a mixed nationality sample of 7,921 governmental and semi-governmental employees and university students in Qatar; 58.4% males and 41.6% females.
Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the HMC’s Tobacco Control Center, said, “Our study set out to determine the prevalence of tobacco use among a population-based sample of adults 18 years and above in Qatar and to determine the different types of tobacco used. Our investigators also sought to gain a better understanding of tobacco dependency, as well as the age at which smokers began using tobacco products and their reasons of initiation. In this study, the prevalence of current tobacco use among adults (citizens and residents) is 25.2% and tobacco smoking (cigarette, waterpipe, medwakh and cigar) is 21.5%, 15.2% lower, than the previous study in 2000.”
The most commonly used tobacco products among users were as follows: Cigarettes: 42.7%; Waterpipe: 20.9%; Medwakh: 3.2%; Cigar: 0.7% Electronic cigarettes: 2%; Smokeless Tobacco 1.9%; Heat-not-burn tobacco: 0.3% and more than one type: 28.1%
In the recent study, the mean age that smokers starting using tobacco products was 19.7 years, higher than the 18.1 years of age that was reported in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2013.
“The positive reported results in our study may be reflective of the collective efforts and measures taken by the concerned stakeholders to curb tobacco use in the country. These efforts include: the adoption of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, implementation of the 2002 anti-tobacco law Qatar and its amendment in 2016, and other programmes in line with the Qatar National Vision of 2030, Qatar National Health Strategy 2018-2022 and efforts of the HMC TCC-WHOCC in tobacco control and prevention as well as the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health and the important role of the Primary Health Care Corporation that led to the expansion of their tobacco dependence treatment services,” explained Dr al-Mulla.
“In addition, the recent introduction of 100% tobacco taxes in 2019 reflected positively on the reduction in the tobacco product imports as well as a reduction in tobacco consumption among the general population,” added Dr al-Mulla.
In addition to the principal investigators who led this study from the HMC TCC-WHOCC, researchers from Weill Cornell University – Qatar, Institute of Population Health and a researcher from European Oncology Institute in Italy contributed to the study as well.
Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the HMC’s Tobacco Control Center, said, “Our study set out to determine the prevalence of tobacco use among a population-based sample of adults 18 years and above in Qatar and to determine the different types of tobacco used. Our investigators also sought to gain a better understanding of tobacco dependency, as well as the age at which smokers began using tobacco products and their reasons of initiation. In this study, the prevalence of current tobacco use among adults (citizens and residents) is 25.2% and tobacco smoking (cigarette, waterpipe, medwakh and cigar) is 21.5%, 15.2% lower, than the previous study in 2000.”
The most commonly used tobacco products among users were as follows: Cigarettes: 42.7%; Waterpipe: 20.9%; Medwakh: 3.2%; Cigar: 0.7% Electronic cigarettes: 2%; Smokeless Tobacco 1.9%; Heat-not-burn tobacco: 0.3% and more than one type: 28.1%
In the recent study, the mean age that smokers starting using tobacco products was 19.7 years, higher than the 18.1 years of age that was reported in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2013.
“The positive reported results in our study may be reflective of the collective efforts and measures taken by the concerned stakeholders to curb tobacco use in the country. These efforts include: the adoption of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, implementation of the 2002 anti-tobacco law Qatar and its amendment in 2016, and other programmes in line with the Qatar National Vision of 2030, Qatar National Health Strategy 2018-2022 and efforts of the HMC TCC-WHOCC in tobacco control and prevention as well as the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health and the important role of the Primary Health Care Corporation that led to the expansion of their tobacco dependence treatment services,” explained Dr al-Mulla.
“In addition, the recent introduction of 100% tobacco taxes in 2019 reflected positively on the reduction in the tobacco product imports as well as a reduction in tobacco consumption among the general population,” added Dr al-Mulla.
In addition to the principal investigators who led this study from the HMC TCC-WHOCC, researchers from Weill Cornell University – Qatar, Institute of Population Health and a researcher from European Oncology Institute in Italy contributed to the study as well.