20 thousands deaths due to air pollution

Shahrvand writes that the annual use of 55 million cigarettes causes 57 thousand related deaths. Alireza Reisi, Deputy Minister of Health, said that the low retail tax on cigarettes cost the country’s healthcare system 200 to 300 trillion IRR annually (5.4 to 8.1 billion USD). In Iran, the tax on cigarettes is less than 10% which place Iran as one of the countries with the cheapest prices for tobacco products after Afghanistan. Mr. Reisi says that ease of access and low prices have lowered the age of smoking hookahs to 14 years among girls.

The article also points to the 20 thousand deaths related to air pollution last year, a fourth of which were in Tehran. This number has grown by 55% compared to the previous year.

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