According to the World Population Review research site, Jordan has the highest percentage of smokers in the Arab world, and the sixth-highest percentage in the world. 

According to the site, Lebanon ranked second in the Arab world, followed by Bahrain and Egypt.

Greece, Serbia, and Russia all topped Jordan at the international level. 

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoking kills more than eight million people a year, and it is the leading cause of death in the United States of America.

This year, the Eastern Mediterranean Region witnessed a decrease in tobacco use for the first time ever, due largely to 17 countries in the region banning tobacco use in public places in order to protect the population from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The regional office of the World Health Organization said that this is the first time that social norms related to tobacco use have changed in favor of behaviors that are more beneficial to health, calling for maintaining this momentum throughout the duration of the pandemic and after it to preserve these health gains.

The Director of Health Awareness and Information at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abeer Mawsous, said in previous statements that 42 percent, or 1.7 million adult Jordanians, smoke tobacco in all its forms, in addition to smoking hookah, according to a study conducted by the Ministry and the World Health Organization during 2019.

Mossous added that 10 percent of all adults (18-69 years) vape in Jordan, according to the 2019 statistics that are conducted every five years.

Also read: 'Tobacco epidemic' is one of the greatest threats to public health: Momani