© World Health Organization 2008

“Review of tobacco industry activities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region” is a series of reports on the tactics and plans of the tobacco industry to undermine tobacco control efforts in the Region. The industry’s activities have been widely documented by WHO and its partners, and have also been exposed following the release of the ‘tobacco industry documents’, which present compelling arguments and evidence that the unethical behaviour of the tobacco industry has extended to all levels of society across the Region.

This report reveals the many facets of tobacco smuggling in the Middle East and the contradicting assertions made by the tobacco industry. Tobacco smuggling has become a critical public health issue. It affects public health by bringing tobacco onto markets cheaply, making cigarettes more affordable and thus stimulating consumption, thereby increasing the burden of ill health caused by its use.