Cairo, Egypt – The Eastern Mediterranean Region has the highest youth smoking rate in the world, according to World Health Organization Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy.

“We must act to protect the next generation. Let us stand together and make it crystal clear. No more tricks. No more traps. Let’s unite for a tobacco-free future,” she said on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2025, held on Saturday under the banner ‘Bright Products. Dark Intentions’.

This year’s theme sheds light on the tobacco industry’s tactics to lure women and young people into addiction through flavoured and colourful products.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death globally, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region bearing a significant burden. The region has the highest smoking rates among adolescent boys, with countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt ranking among the highest globally. The promotion of new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, has led to higher dependency rates among vulnerable groups, WHO stated.

Globally, 37mn children aged 13–15 years use tobacco. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, smoking rates in some areas have reached 43% among adolescent boys (aged 13–15 years) and 20% among adolescent girls. The highest prevalence of tobacco use among boys is recorded in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank) at 43.3%, followed by Jordan at 33.9% and Syria at 31.6%.

Alarmingly, the gap in tobacco use between men and women is narrowing, with more women and girls taking up smoking, exposing them to health risks such as cervical cancer, osteoporosis and fertility issues.