AMMAN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- More than half of Jordanians aged 15 and older use tobacco in some form, according to data released Saturday by Jordan's Higher Population Council (HPC) to mark World No Tobacco Day.
The report showed a sharp gender gap, with men accounting for 71 percent of tobacco users in the kingdom and women making up the remaining 29 percent.
According to the data, 83 percent of tobacco users in Jordan began smoking before the age of 24, while 38 percent started before turning 18.
The council said low-income groups are particularly vulnerable to tobacco use and its economic consequences. The poorest smokers spend 25 times more on cigarettes than on healthcare, 10 times more than on education, and about 1.5 times more than on food, the report said.
With average monthly spending on tobacco reaching 78 Jordanian dinars (around 110 U.S. dollars) per smoker, the habit significantly limits the ability of low-income families to cover essential expenses, including food, medicine, education, and debt repayments.
Beyond the financial burden on households, tobacco use continues to place heavy pressure on Jordan's healthcare system, the council said. Jordan recorded 10,755 new cancer cases in 2022, with three of the most common cancers closely linked to smoking.
The annual cost of cancer treatment in Jordan is estimated at about 350 million dinars (around 493 million dollars), according to the HPC. The council projects the figure will exceed 500 million dinars (705 million dollars) by 2030. ■