Amman, 12 June 2017 – The World Health Organization in Jordan has supported the Ministry of Health in conducting training for more than 500 Tobacco Control Monitoring Officers from different ministries and institutions from all the governorates on the dangers of tobacco use.
Those officers will be entrusted with the legal authority to enforce and implement the public health law No. 47 of the year 2008 with its amendments. The tasks of the monitoring officers are to ensure the implementation of the tobacco control public health law by inspecting public places, monitoring violations and preparing of periodic reports.
WHO Representative to Jordan Dr Maria Cristina Profili emphasised the importance of the role of tobacco control monitoring officers to helps communities in combating this epidemic, including awareness and educational activities. “Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of people, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit," she said.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing around 7 million people a year. More than 5 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 890 000 (600 000 last year) are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Tobacco is a major public health challenge and epidemic. 1 in 8 deaths are attributable to tobacco.