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Rabat – A study by Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection has indicated that the economic costs of tobacco use in Morocco exceed MAD 5 billion ($505 million) annually.
To celebrate World No Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31, the ministry has launched a national campaign between May 31 and June 21 to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking. As part of the campaign, the ministry has provided data on the epidemiological and economic effects of smoking in Morocco.
The data indicated that the economic costs of tobacco in Morocco make up 8.5% of total health-related expenses, and 0.45% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The MAD 5 billion ($505 million) tobacco costs are divided into three categories: direct medical costs, which make up 60.9%; mortality costs which come to 33%; and more than 6% in lost productivity due to smoking-related diseases.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases in Morocco, the ministry added.
The study further indicated that tobacco was the main cause of over 74,000 heart diseases in Morocco in 2019. Smoking has in the past three years caused 12,800 premature deaths in Morocco, the study concluded, pointing out that tobacco is responsible for the emergence of 4,227 new cases of lung cancer every year.
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The ministry urges all Moroccans to participate in the fight against tobacco use and increase knowledge of its health risks, especially among young people.
It also encourages smoking addicts to enroll in and commit to the smoking cessation programs which are available in the ministry’s institutions across Morocco.
According to the medical journal The Lancet, the number of tobacco smokers worldwide reached 1.1 billion in 2019, with smoking causing 7.7 million deaths. Smokers aged between 15 and 24 years are estimated at 155 million, the journal indicates.
Meanwhile, a recent report by the WHO has warned that the tobacco industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters, with the production and consumption of tobacco releasing around 80 million tonnes of CO2 each year.
