Amman, 1 June 2021 – This year, World No Tobacco Day focuses on “Commit to quit” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many smokers are aware of the risks of tobacco use and most want to quit. It is imperative to provide tailored services to help them achieve this goal. There is enough evidence that counselling and medication can increase the chance of successfully quitting smoking by more than double. The pandemic has revealed that quitting smoking is more important than ever as the evidence shows that smokers are more vulnerable than non-smokers to developing a severe case and dying from COVID-19.

Smoking is one of the main risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in Jordan contributing to nearly 80% of all premature deaths. According to the 2019 STEPS Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health of Jordan in collaboration with the World Health Organization, 82% of Jordanian males are addicted to nicotine ranking Jordan among one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. About 50% of adult smokers in Jordan have tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months yet only a small percentage of them had access to the tools that could help them do so.

On this occasion Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired received WHO's World No Tobacco Day 2021 award for her accomplishments as the leading advocate and prominent figure for tobacco control in Jordan.  

As a global and regional advocate in the fight against tobacco, HRH Princess Dina Mired affirmed that, “The situation in Jordan is alarming, the harms of smoking and vaping are well-established. Never before, has protecting our health been as important as during the COVID-19 pandemic. All people in Jordan now have the opportunity to stop smoking.”

H.E Minister of Health Professor Firas Al-Hawari said, "The smoking epidemic is one of the most important noncommunicable diseases risk factors and causes complications to the heart, lungs and the rest of the body's organs ultimately leading to death."

Jordan is the first country in the world to benefit from a donation of nicotine replacement therapy from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health through its partnership with WHO Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco (AIQT). The donation, at an estimated retail value of about US$ 1 million aims to support thousands of Jordanians and refugees quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

WHO Representative to Jordan Dr Maria Cristina Profili, reiterated the importance of tobacco control for Jordan to promote healthy lives and the well-being of all and at all ages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and said that the World No Tobacco Day campaign this year aimed to empower and support tobacco users on their journey to quit and was a great opportunity for all smokers.  

Any smoker willing to quit has access to free of charge medical counselling and medication at the 23 Ministry of Health dedicated smoking cessation clinics at the primary health care level distributed all over the country. In addition, a national hotline number 065004546 is in place to provide information related to smoking cessation services in Jordan. 

Additionally, a smoking cessation clinic was established in 2008 at King Hussein Cancer Centre to contribute to effective tobacco control and reduce cancer cases in Jordan by providing the population with the support they need to quit smoking. The clinic provides integrated services through individualized treatment plans that include both behavioral therapy (consultation and counselling) and medical therapy from a certified team of Tobacco Treatment Specialists. 

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, under the patronage of H.E Minister of Health, the Ministry of Health inaugurated a new smoking cessation clinic at premises dedicated for staff who wish to quit smoking. 

During the inauguration of the smoking cessation clinic, Dr Al-Hawari indicated that Jordan was well equipped with the right capacities to provide the population with services to quit smoking through implementing guidelines, programmes and polices, as well as awareness campaigns in accordance with the provisions of Public Health Law No. 47 of 2008. In addition, tobacco control inspectors ensure public health law enforcement in collaboration with the different governmental institutions and concerned parties. 

The Ministry of Health and WHO in Jordan call upon all smokers to protect their health during this pandemic and beyond by quitting smoking.