Report: Morocco Ranks 111th Globally in Tobacco Use
The new figures show that 12.3% of the population consumes tobacco, placing Morocco 111th worldwide.
The rate is driven largely by male users, who account for 23.7%, compared to just 0.9% among women.
Of all the African countries, Morocco ranks 14th. Egypt (25.8%) and Algeria (21.4%) both consume more and rank 39th and 60th globally, respectively.
Tunisia stands at 19%, while Mauritania reports the lowest rate in the Maghreb at 8.3%, landing in 140th place internationally.
Burkina Faso slightly surpasses Morocco at 12.4%, while other nations like Namibia and Zambia follow behind.
Despite Morocco´s placement among countries with moderate tobacco use, the figures draw attention to lingering structural issues.
Unregulated and illicit tobacco products continue to circulate in several regions, sold at low prices and outside official monitoring channels.
Access to smoking cessation services in Morocco remains limited, especially in areas beyond major cities, where healthcare systems are already under pressure.
In January, Health Minister Amine Tahraoui announced a renewed national strategy to tackle what he described as one of the country's most pressing health issues.
The updated plan restructures Morocco's tobacco control efforts, originally part of the 2010–2019 National Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control, which prioritized reducing tobacco use.
Tahraoui cited troubling statistics. Smoking causes 8% of all deaths in Morocco. It is behind 75% of lung cancer fatalities, and contributes to 10% of deaths from respiratory diseases.
A 2021 study by the ministry linked tobacco use in 2019 to over 74,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, more than 4,200 new lung cancer diagnoses, and 12,800 premature deaths. Tags: CigarettesHealthMoroccoMorocco smokerstobacco use
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