Saudi smokers to hit 10m by 2020

A recent study warned that the number of smokers in Saudi Arabia will double to 10 million by 2020, Al Riyadh newspaper reported Saturday. Conducted by the Saudi Society for Diabetes and Endocrinology, the study attributed the expected increase to lack of awareness programs. The best measure to tackle the issue is to join the Framework Convention for the World Health Organization (WHO) on tobacco control to increase tobacco prices and impose restrictions on selling products, said Dr. Abdulaziz Al Turki, chairman of the Society. The study also highlighted that 15 billion cigarettes worth 1.3 billion U.S. dollars are sold annually in Saudi Arabia.