Algerians consume 26 billion cigarettes annually

Algeria noticed a dramatic rise of cigarettes consumption during the last three years, reaching 26 billion cigarettes per year (equivalent to 1.3 billion boxes).

The non-application of regulations and laws that prevent smoking in public places, and the lower prices of cigarettes contributed in raising the phenomenon of smoking among different segments of the Algerian society although the campaigns of awareness by many national and international health associations which warned of the spread various types of cancers caused by smoking.

The turnover of tobacco industry in Algeria reaches $ 1.85 billion last year, and the National Company of Tobacco controlled a share of approximately 45% in the market, while the Algerian-Emirati Tobacco Company and the British American Tobacco control the remaining share.

Professor Salim Nafti, Head of the Respiratory Diseases University Hospital, Mustapha Pasha, said that the 8 types of cancers among Algerians are caused by smoking, in addition to 25 diseases which effect smokers, including 85% respiratory and 30% heart and arteries, especially with the spread of the phenomenon of Shisha (hookah) which devastates health and the widespread of smoking among women as well, adding that one hour of smoking shisha (hookah) equals the consumption of 200 cigarettes per day, according to the WHO.

Specialists said that the government is the first responsible for expanding the terrible phenomenon because of the adamant in ensuring the application of the law to prevent smoking in public places despite having signed the 2006 UN convention that prevents smoking in public places. They assert that smoking also caused losses to the public treasury as a result of the treatment of cancer patients more than traffic accidents do, although it tightened the application of traffic laws but it does not punish the drivers who kill themselves and others in silence.

Specialists in public health explain that the prices of cigarettes in Algeria are very low compared with other countries of the region, thus encouraging citizens to smoke.

The World Health Organization revealed that Algeria is among the rare countries in the world that did not respect its obligations to combat smoking in public places, as it recorded a clear carless by the Algerian government in the application of high taxes on cigarettes and do not impose strict measures on the promotion of smoking because it does not set strict terms packaging cigarettes boxes.