(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula Online
Doha: Qatar ranks among the Arab countries with the lowest spending on tobacco products in the Middle East, reported Fitch Solutions.
According to Fitch, the average annual per capita spending in Qatar for 2023 was around $22.6, lesser than Jordan ($120.5), Egypt ($86.7), Saudi Arabia ($68.1), UAE ($43) and Kuwait ($31.3).
Qatar also scored low in terms of total annual spending, recording 0.07 billion ($70,000,000).
Total annual spending for Egypt, Saudi, and Tunisia was the most among Arab countries, with 9.77 billion, 2.52 billion, and 2.15 billion respectively.
Hamad Medical Center (HMC) today marked World No Tobacco Day, which is observed annually on May 31.
HMC Tobacco Control Center Director Dr. Ahmad Al Mulla, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, said that“Qatar is one of the countries that do not encourage the cultivation of tobacco or manufacturing of tobacco products.”
Dr. Al Mulla said that Qatar contributes to reducing the spread of tobacco use by entering into international agreements of tobacco control, as well as treatment services with many clinics opened to help smokers quit through medication and behavioral therapy.
Earlier this year, Qatar's General Tax Authority put in place a ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products without valid and activated digital tax stamps.
Read Also ban on cigarettes, tobacco products without tax stamps goes into effect
In December 2018, Qatar's Ministry of Finance announced that it would be placing a“selective tax” on health-damaging goods while announcing the general budget for 2019.
The 100% tax on tobacco products had forced a number of grocery stores to declare cigarettes "out of stock" and habitual smokers to consider the additional costs before purchasing, the peninsula found.
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