Shahrzad News:Iranian health officials have warned that an increasing number of women are becoming addicted to smoking tobacco in shisha water pipes. The Iranian Anti-Smoking Campaign has held seven seminars on the problem in six years, but none of its recommendations have been implemented.
According to the ISNA news agency, 4% of over-30s spend around 2500 billion tomans ($830m) a year on the habit. The agency says the current annual health budget allocated over 7.5 billion tomans ($25m) for the treatment of smoking-related disease, half as much again as that earmarked for family health.
The Iranian Anti-Smoking Campaign was set up in 2006 as part of a general government policy to combat drug addiction, and has four ministers on its board of directors. Its directives on health issues become law without the need for approval from the Majles (parliament). A spokesperson for the campaign told ISNA: “Though we have spent years conducting seminars and meetings about this alarming trend, still no serious effort is being made to combat the problem.”
